Falling Out
by PatarPen
Summary: As Merlin struggles to keep Arthur and the knights safe from a secret society of Druids, he discovers that his secret does more harm than good for himself and those around him. How will Arthur react when Merlin is forced to tell him of his magic? If there is one solid theme in Merlin other than heartache, it is difficult situations typically begin falling out of control fast.
1. Chapter 1

"You really are completely hopeless, Merlin." Arthur laughed as his personal manservant struggled to his feet after tripping quite dramatically over a root. His poor footing had thrown him to the ground scattering the various items he had been left in charge of. A smirk played on the young king's features as his servant finally righted himself and began wiping off the dirt and dried leaves that clung to his shirt. A resolute glare was sent to Arthur from Merlin's blue eyes. Arthur smirked when a telltale redness collected on his servant's face. He stopped to watch Merlin stumble around collecting the items he had strewn about after the fall.

"Well maybe if you didn't need so much stuff for a hunting trip I would be able to keep my balance." Merlin huffed as he picked a few twigs off one of the bags. "We could have easily left most of this where we set up camp, but, no, you just had to make my day more difficult." Arthur gave Merlin a playful slap across the back of the head which he tried in vain to avoid. This only resulted in more items dropping to the ground. Arthur smirked at the scowl that spread across Merlin's face.

"Come now Merlin," Arthur began with the slightly pompous tone that he often used with his servant. "Is that any way to speak to your king?"

"Yeah Merlin," Gwaine said nudging the manservant with his arm and handing an item he had dropped. Merlin caught the twinkle in the knight's eye and fought a smirk. "Princess over there has that to freshen up for Gwen after hunting. Heaven knows he needs all the help he can get."

At that comment Merlin, Gwaine, Leon, Percival, and Elyan were sent into a raucous fit of laughter. Percival seemed most amused as tears welled at the corners of his eyes. His entire large frame shook with each laugh. He gave Gwaine a pat on the back that nearly sent him tumbling forward from shear force. Gwaine took several steps to regain his balance and gave Arthur a grin to combat the scowl written on the king's face. Arthur cleared his throat effectively killing the laughter.

"As your king-"

"Princess." Gwaine interrupted obviously not taking the hint that Arthur's steely gaze gave. This triggered several snorts and stifled laughs from their companions.

"Gwaine," Arthur said dangerously. The knight held up his hands in mock defeat. Arthur sent him a glare that would frighten the best knights and continued.

"As your king, it is not your place to question what he needs to be comfortable."

"But of course, sire." Gwaine said using a heavy dose of sarcasm for emphasis. He sent a wink to Merlin. Merlin rolled his eyes at Gwaine's childish antics. He had been lucky to make it this far in one piece. With his nonchalant attitude towards royalty and his often dreadful drinking habits, it was ludicrous to think that Gwaine had even a drop of noble blood.

"It is my desire to serve you and make sure you are comfortable until my final breath. I only hope that my last thought is for my king and his kingdom." He finished dramatically with a low bow for emphasis.

"Shut up." Arthur said smiling slightly at Gwaine. The king was hard-pressed to find the strength to hold his stoic composure when his knight acted like this. He turned to Merlin and jokingly asked, "Are you taking notes on proper etiquette?"

"Of course, King Prat." Merlin said copying Gwaine's bow exactly.

Arthur scowled, but humor was shining in his eyes as another chorus of laughter sounded among the group that would have scared any wildlife in close proximity away. Arthur enjoyed conversations such as these. He would never tell Merlin or any of the knights this, but it helped him feel like he was just one of the knights instead of the king of Camelot. These were the afternoons he would remember as some of his favorites. There were no worries, just time out of the castle with his closest knights and his annoying manservant. The camaraderie between all of them was a welcome feeling compared to the proper etiquette that Arthur wore like a mask while at court meetings or any other miscellaneous and often pointless gatherings that required the King of Camelot's attendance.

Arthur directed his attention back to task and the path ahead of them. He gripped his crossbow tightly and listened for any sound off in the woods that would indicate something to hunt. Arthur rolled his eyes often as he heard his manservant drop an item loudly or nearly trip. The most recent noise had been him cursing loudly under his breath after he had stubbed his toe on a protruding tree root sticking up from the forrest ground. Arthur simply ignored all of his manservant's antics to the best of his ability. The group continued on for several more minutes in silence quietly searching for a kill before a certain manservant spoke up.

"Why are we this close to the Valley of Fallen Kings again?" Merlin questioned with a slight bit of worry in his voice.

It's true they had been hunting, but the game trails closest to Camelot had grown cold, and Arthur grew impatient. As the valley seemed to be a magnet for bad luck, Merlin grew more and more worried. He was constantly looking around using magic to improve his vision and attempting to spread a web of power around the area to help him sense any threats, magical or not. This took up much of his focus and played a part in his fall earlier. Not that his lack of focus was the reason for all of his clumsy actions.

"Don't be such a girl, Merlin." Arthur sneered. "Besides, people are too superstitious to hunt here or even in the area which results in more game for us."

Arthur did not want to come back to Camelot empty handed again. There had been far too many times that prey had been right in reach with his crossbow only for a certain idiot to scare it off. Merlin complained endlessly about him killing innocent creatures and Arthur was beginning to believe that Merlin's well timed clumsiness was to keep the animals from being killed. Something that Arthur would have to confront him about later.

"I'm beginning to think that hunting trips never turn out as planned." Merlin began in an annoyed tone. "Do you remember the unicorn?"

"Yes, Merlin." Arthur answered. That would be something he would never forget. He had almost doomed Camelot because he simply shot and killed the magical creature. It had not one of his finer moments.

There was silence for several moments. Arthur continued on hunting with less gusto than when he left. He could feel Merlin's worry. A quick glance behind to his manservant proved his guess to be correct. His eyes were darting all over and not with the intention of searching for prey.

Arthur sighed and turned to look at Merlin who had been watching him. "What is it now, Merlin?"

"Nothing good ever happens here." Merlin replied. "Need I remind you?"

"No Merlin, Shut up." Arthur stopped walking suddenly. A sudden noise had caught his intention. It was an odd sound, almost as the ground had shifted. Merlin ignored him entirely, continuing on his rant.

"You were shot and poisoned," He began counting off with his fingers. "And I was hit by a mace trying to save your ungrateful ass-"

"Shut up Merlin." Arthur repeated in a harsher and quieter tone. He grabbed his obstinate servant's shoulder roughly, effectively stopping him in his tracks. The idiot silenced, finally sensing Arthur's concerned tone.

"What is it sire?" Leon asked while cautiously looking around with his hand on the grip of his sword.

"I thought I heard something." Arthur responded quietly. They all stood silently. Each one of them barely breathed as they attempted to listen for any potential danger. Arthur, deeming that there was no threat laughed and said.

"No doubt it was Merlin's incessant whining." Arthur shoved Merlin's shoulder. "Your worrying is putting us all on edge."

Arthur looked to Merlin waiting for his side of the playful banter, but it never came. The anxious look upon Merlin's face was enough to make the young king feel anxious.

"What?" Arthur asked in a bored tone to hide the growing feeling of concern that was creeping its way into his senses.

"Something feels off."

Merlin couldn't describe it. He did not hear or see anything out of the ordinary. He felt it. His magic settled deep in his gut, letting him know that there was potential danger around. Something was wrong in their surroundings. There was no safe way to describe it to the others because that would in turn force him to describe how he knew. He was not about to blatantly state to a king that persecutes people like him 'Hey, I know something is wrong because my magic is telling me.'

That was one conversation he would not be walking away from in one piece.

"Another one of your funny feelings?" Arthur sarcastically asked.

Merlin rolled his eyes at Arthur's lack of concern. Although Arthur had no idea that his "funny feelings" stemmed from his magically heightened senses, Merlin still thought that he would have at least paid them more heed. After all they had been through and all the occasions his "funny feelings" had been correct Arthur still wasn't showing any concern when he got them.

Arthur met Merlin's worried eyes. For a moment Merlin thought that he might just listen to him. His eyes seemed to hold some sort of concern for what Merlin had said, but as soon as Merlin thought Arthur would truly listen to him he gave Merlin an arrogant smirk that flattened his hope.

"Honestly Merlin, I'm surprise I even put up with you anymore." He turned away from Merlin and took a step forward to continue. His magic clenched tightly in his gut and Merlin immediately cried out for Arthur to stop.

"Arthur Wait!"

His words came a second too late. As soon as Arthur's foot had placed itself on the ground in front of him, the forrest floor caved in. Time slowed for Merlin as he watched his King descend into the ground like Gaius when he fell from the platform on Merlin's first day in Camelot. Merlin instinctually reached at an incredible speed for Arthur's right hand which he attained a firm hold of. As time righted itself and became normal, Merlin heard the knights shout in alarm at the sight. Merlin slammed to the ground at the edge of the hole all while miraculously managing to keep a grip on Arthur's hand. Both arms were nearly pulled out of their sockets and protested the sudden strain that Arthur's weight had caused. The ground quivered ominously as Merlin attempted to continue to keep a hold of Arthur's dangling body.

Shock settled in Arthur. Merlin had just defied any expectation. Saving him from falling immediately to his death had been seemingly impossible. Arthur dazedly glanced to the dark hole threatening to swallow his dangling feet. It was surreal to be so close to death, stopped only by the one person least likely to be successful in accomplishing the feat he just witnessed and felt from the pain in his arm.

"You- idiot." Merlin struggled to say as Arthur's body swung slightly in his grasp.

"Merlin, don't let go!" Elyan shouted edging near where the ground gave in.

"You know, that was the last thing I was thinking at this time." Merlin shouted sarcastically.

Pain had laced his voice. Merlin could only hold on to him so long. Arthur would never admit this to anyone but he had put on a few pounds. All the added responsibility of being the king had decreased his training time. There was also the banquets that he had to attend. The added pounds were now weighing heavily upon his friend.

"Don't come any closer." Merlin ordered to the knights behind him. Arthur couldn't see it from where he was but he imagined the knights trying to think of any way to aid the king. They were running against time now. They couldn't come close to Merlin to help him because the ground could cave in further and consume them all. At the same time, Merlin could not hold onto Arthur indefinitely. Leon's level headed commands could be heard above the pounding blood in his ears as he ordered the bags be searched for ropes or anything else that might help get Arthur to safety.

"Are you alright Arthur?" Merlin asked his king in a concerned tone. Even in the midst of all this mayhem Merlin's thoughts were for the wellbeing of his king.

"I'm fine." Arthur said in a shocked voice. His brush with death and his manservant's quick actions had deeply unnerved him. His shoulder continued to ache on the arm that Merlin had a hold of.

"Are you?"

"Never better, clotpole." Merlin replied.

Arthur wouldn't have had to know Merlin for years to figure out that his statement was a complete lie. He knew that his weight was putting a strain on Merlin's arms and that he would soon let go if he had to hold him much longer. He was surprised that he had even managed to hold him at all, let alone this long. His hands began slipping from Merlin's grip, but with a renewed vigor, Merlin tightened his grip and fought past the pain.

"I won't let go." Merlin said determinedly as though he read Arthur's thoughts. Arthur knew that that statement was true. Merlin was exceptionally stubborn. Arthur felt suddenly grateful for this horribly useless man that had come into his life so many years ago. The knights were frantically trying to help in some way behind Merlin, but he seemed to decidedly put his entire focus into keeping Arthur from falling into the ground.

"This would be a lot easier if you weren't so fat." Merlin teased in light of the serious situation.

"I am not fat." Arthur said trying to focus on the banter instead of the thought of imminent death.

He tried to grab hold of Merlin's arm to help him but only succeed in slipping slightly more from Merlin's grip. His heart beat hard in his chest and fear coursed through him, but Merlin immediately reaffirmed his grip tightly with a strength found out of nowhere. Arthur realized that he couldn't help in any way. This was all up to Merlin.

"Will you stop trying to kill yourself?" Merlin asked redundantly. His muscles had begun to spasm from the strain they were being put under. Doubt filled his mind. What if he couldn't hold him as long as the knights needed him to. "If you're not fat then you are rather rotund."

Arthur scoffed, but didn't argue any further. Merlin's grip had become clammy and Arthur's worry increased exponentially. His heart beat faster than ever as his hope dwindled. He looked to Merlin's pain filled eyes. His servant was loyal to a fault, but no man could keep something like this up forever. Arthur's mouth worked itself open and closed but no words came from it. He had no idea of what to say.

His thoughts turned to Gwen in what could possibly be his final moments. The entire kingdom would be left for her to rule. It was not a situation that he would ever want her to be forced to deal with. The council was still not entirely certain if Arthur had made the right choice in choosing her as his Queen. How would they respond if she were to be left to rule the kingdom? Arthur finally found his voice as tried to think of his final words to her.

"Tell Gwen that-"

"No," Merlin interrupted. "You'll be telling her everything. Like how I saved your life yet again and deserve a day off."

A smile played on Arthur's lips. Even in dire situations like this Merlin had an uncanny ability to make situations all the less terrifying. It was a skill that Arthur was often annoyed with. At times like this he was thankful for it. It helped Arthur through some of the most difficult situations in his life.

"Maybe you'll get two days off."

"How generous." He heard Merlin sarcastically say. "Can you get a footing on anything that could help you climb up?"

Arthur began to try to find a foothold on the edge but only succeeded in loosening more of the rocks and debris from the hole. He watched as it fell into the dark pit that was threatening to swallow Arthur. There was a lack of sound indicating the rocks hit the ground. The pit was deep and a fall from this height would seriously injure or even kill a person.

"No." Arthur answered. He looked up to Merlin and saw that his eyes were closed and focused. Arthur felt his grip beginning to slide and he felt a wave of fear hit him.

"What are the knights doing?" Arthur asked in an attempt to distract Merlin from the pain.

Merlin hadn't noticed the knights had begun to edge their way towards the hole armed with a spare crossbow they hoped to be long enough to reach down to Arthur. Before Merlin could tell them to stop, the ground shifted ominously again. The added weight from the knights caused the remainder of the ground around them to give way. All six men fell mercilessly into the dark abyss. The last thing any of them remembered was a faint golden light just before they all hit the ground and lost consciousness.

 **Author's note**

 **I know, a bit of a cliche to end a chapter with them all getting knocked out. I have a bit of a heads up for this story. Most of the chapters are already prewritten and awaiting final editing so I hope to not keep anyone reading this waiting too long. Also, to everyone reading please know that this is my very first fan fiction. I appreciate any feedback given through reviews, whether it be positive or negative constructive criticism. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy.**


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur groaned as a killer headache and the proddings of an annoying knight assaulted his senses, quickly and effectively causing him to wake up. He opened his eyes and took in the dimly lit sight. High above his head there was a sliver of light shining through barely big enough for him to even see it. It would have been just him and possibly his idiotic manservant looking at the sight had the knights not followed them. Right, the knights were here. He quickly sat up in order to assess everyone's condition only for a wave of nausea to wash over him.

"Easy there, Princess." Gwaine said putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him from moving further. "You got quite a lump. It's a pity that you won't be able to wear your tiara any time soon."

Arthur only rolled his eyes while slowly breathing in the damp air. As soon as his stomach stopped threatening to expose is contents, Arthur was finally able to to looked about the cave. He could barely see anything, or anyone, in front of him. There was just not enough light coming in through the hole. He could make out the faint outline of Gwaine who sat next to him, but beyond him was simply darkness.

"Where are the others?"

"Here," Arthur heard suddenly from his right. In the dim lighting, Arthur searched for any of the faces of his knights, but he knew from the voice that it was Elyan.

"I as well." Percival's deep voice echoed through the cavern. "Leon's over here as well, but he's not awake yet. He seemed to have hit pretty hard."

Arthur waited for the final voice. He would never admit it due to the fact that it was not fitting for that of a king, but he was most anxious to hear the voice of his servant. He wanted to hear Merlin cracking a joke about how he was too fat for the ground and it couldn't bear it anymore. Arthur didn't care. He just needed to know he was alright. Instead of any clever comment, Arthur was met with silence. Seeing the outline of the supply bag, Arthur crawled over to it in an undignified fashion feeling a deep ache in the arm Merlin had held onto for an unprecedented time period. His hands probed the interior of the bag searching madly for the flint and torch. Now everyone was lucky he had Merlin carry extra supplies. Relief washed over him as he felt the cool smoothness of the flint and the rough grip of a torch. It may not be able to hold a flame as long as other torches, but it was useful in emergency situations. Arthur would count this as such. He went about striking the flint, but his trembling hands only succeeded in creating a few pathetic sparks not strong enough to catch. The rational part of his brain no longer functioned properly as he allowed the piercing worry to overcome him. He continued to fumble around with the flint but was stopped immediately when he heard Gwaine.

"Let me, sire." There was no hint of sarcasm or jest in his voice. His tone had been flat and serious. Arthur knew immediately Gwaine was also worried for Merlin's sake. It was no small mystery that Gwaine and Merlin had been friends for many years. How Gwaine could keep his calm stature astounded Arthur.

Arthur handed it over without hesitation. His frame was tense as he waited to see what could very well be one of his worst nightmares. He struggled to his feet while his head pounded continuously. He heard Gwaine striking the flint. With every strike Arthur could hear the 'shnick' of the flint and stone hitting against each other followed by a small shower of sparks that kept refusing to light the torch. Every failed attempt to light the torch only further concerned Arthur as he feared what he would see. Merlin had been injured on several occasions in the past but this was different. Without light Arthur couldn't see what had become of him. Finally, one of the sparks caught fire and Arthur quickly seized the torch and began searching the cavern floor for his manservant.

"Over here." He heard Elyan say. Arthur nearly ran over just as Elyan placed two fingers on Merlin's neck. Arthur's stomach dropped as he saw just how pale Merlin was and that a pool of blood was flowing from the back of his head. Holding his breath, Arthur got down on a knee next to Merlin and attempted to keep a stoic face. All of the knights present knew the friendship that had formed between the king and his manservant and that Arthur was masking all the emotion he had. The facade was not formed in order to keep embarrassment for showing concern for an inferior hidden. Arthur had buried his emotions because he could not risk losing himself to them.

"He's alive." Elyan said, breathing a sigh of relief. "He seems to just be unconscious."

Arthur released a breath that he had been holding. Merlin was fine, albeit unconscious. He felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders.

"Good," he said. His voice had cracked slightly from emotion.

Each knight also seemed to be extremely relieved. they awaited the order from their leader. Arthur had been so focused on Merlin that he hadn't even thought about where they were. He held up the torch to allow the light to reveal what the darkness what hiding. They seemed to have landed in an underground cavern of some sort. The walls were high and dripping with moisture. Arthur realized that where the walls in front and behind him ended, he found no definite end to those to the right and left. Upon a closer look, Arthur realized they were in a tunnel. It branched off farther than the torch allowed for them to see. The darkness on each end seemed to go on forever and there was no proof from where he stood that either way could lead them back to the surface.

"Elyan, you stay here and watch over Leon and Merlin. Percival and Gwaine with me. I want to see where this tunnel leads."

As they were leaving, Arthur cast one last worried glance at his still unconscious manservant. A twinge of guilt ran through him as he realized that Merlin never would have been in this situation if he hadn't caused it. No matter how ridiculous it had been at the time, Arthur wished that he had listened to Merlin in the first place.

The dark patch surrounding Merlin's head caught his eye again. Catching Elyan's gaze, Arthur gave him a short nod and said, "Try to staunch the bleeding too."

If the event had been less grave he would have made some comment to that showed that he was less connected and worried than he actually was. Arthur motioned to Gwaine and Percival to follow. They went off one way and stayed close to the wall while trying not to slip on the muddy ground. After a few minutes of walking with only the sound of their breathing and footsteps, Gwaine seemed to have had enough of the lack of communication.

Gwaine broke the silence saying, "Have I over told you about my escapade in Lot's Kingdom with only the clothes on my back and a loaf of stale bread?"

Arthur heard Percival groan in dissatisfaction which gave Gwaine his cue to begin his story. Gwaine frequently recalled stories from his past as his way of boasting about his 'heroics', but Arthur knew this time was different. The start to Gwaine's story lacked any of his typically bravado which lead Arthur to believe that he was just as worried about Merlin as he was. Gwaine was trying to set his focus on something other than their current situation. Arthur was too lost in thought to care to listen to Gwaine's story. Why were these tunnels even here? Arthur continued at a fast pace and set all his focus on his footing and surroundings. He couldn't suppress a grin as he thought about how Merlin would have fallen on one of the slick rocks. He would have ended face first and covered himself in the mud. They continued on for several more minutes all the while Gwaine chatter until Arthur saw the reflection of his own torch on the surface of the tunnel. Arthur stuck his hand up signaling to the others to stop while he crept forward. The reflection of the torch soon included Arthur's curious face as he took in the stagnant water blocking their path. Looking beyond the water Arthur felt his stomach drop at what the torchlight revealed. The tunnel was obstructed by a rock fall.

"There's no way around." Gwaine observed. Percival nodded. Arthur held back a shout sheer frustration at the situation. He had been hoping to be able to return Merlin and Leon to Camelot posthaste. Afterwards they would be able to laugh about it while Gaius treated their wounds. Arthur would obviously blame the entirety of the situation on Merlin who would obstinately argue what really happened.

Taking a deep breath, Arthur cleared his throat to erase any trace of emotion that could have seeped into his vocal chords. "No use standing around here. Let's return to the others."

They each felt disheartened, but anxious to return to check up on Leon and Merlin. Arthur hated not being able to control outcomes and this route had proved to not be of any help to the group. He had been hoping for an easy way to get out of the cave and back to Camelot to get everyone checked out by Gaius. There was no telling how much damage could have been done to until they woke up. Or if they even woke up at all. 'There are a lot of head injuries that someone can't come back from,' Arthur remembered Gaius saying after older knight had fallen off his bucking horse. There had been swelling on the brain that Gaius tried his best to reduce with herbs. The knight never woke and died from malnutrition.

Pushing those negative thoughts aside, Arthur set his focus upon the walk back and pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind. He needed to remain structured, strong and definitely not swayed by his emotions. It was his duty to get them all out of here alive and he could not afford to worry about his useless and completely idiotic manservant that seemed to cause more trouble than not.

Arthur sighed in relief as he saw the outline of Elyan. The walk seemed longer on the way back as he had been weighed down with the depressing news. His spirits were lightened as he saw that Leon had woken up and was being tended to by Elyan. He was pressing his fingers into Leon's side at specific areas. Arthur saw him wince when Elyan pressed against the his right side towards his back.

Gwaine nodded to Leon. "Glad to see you finally awake. How was your nap?"

Leon smirked. "I would like to see how long you would sleep after breaking several ribs."

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked. If Leon had broken ribs what could have happened to Merlin?Arthur glanced at Merlin only to see his still unconscious form still as death. Arthur buried his emotions and focused solely on Leon.

"I'll be fine, my lord." Leon replied with a slight grin. "It was just the landing that got me. I seemed to have hit a rock quite awkwardly. It takes more than that to get rid of me"

Arthur looked to Elyan for confirmations as he was the first to be there upon Leon's waking. Elyan nodded, confirming the state that Leon was in.

"He should be alright. His breathing is regular so I don't suspect any of the ribs punctured his lungs; however, I am not the best person to be the judge of that."

Arthur saw Elyan glance to Merlin and knew that he was thinking the same thing that he was. While Merlin was not a physician, he was still the most medically trained individual when it came down to it. Living with and being Gaius's assistant for years gave Merlin enough knowledge to be able to typically know what to do. The knights knew a measly bit of knowledge on treating wounds as part of their training. Right now the person they needed to be able to help Merlin was himself.

"Did the cavern lead anywhere, Sire?" Elyan asked pulling Arthur from his thoughts and breaking the room of the heavy silence that had ensued after his comment.

"No." Arthur replied. It was an effort but he pulled his focus back to Elyan's question. "A rock fall stopped us from continuing, but we will leave for the opposite direction-" Arthur glanced at the exhausted faces in front of him and continued. "after we all have some well deserved rest."

Tired smiles were given to Arthur as the knights each felt relieved that they would be able to recuperate and rest. As Arthur was sore and headachy from the fall, he was sure his knights were no exception.

"Are you actually being nice too us or is his just as tired as we are." Gwaine asked in a suspicious tone.

Arthur was about to retort when he heard a quiet voice behind him say, "Mark this as a momentous occasion."

Arthur whipped around and saw his rather dazed looking manservant staring back at him. His eyes seemed tired and he looked extremely pale, but he was alive.

"The clotpole is finally being nice and to think I almost missed it."

Arthur let out a small laugh of relief and quickly went over to Merlin, taking a knee to come to about the same level as his friend. Arthur felt the worry that had gripped him disappear as he watched Merlin squint at the torchlight in Arthur's hand. The other knights also seemed incredibly relieved and came over to join Arthur with the exception of Leon who had yet to move. Merlin glanced around the tunnel.

"Well this is cozy, isn't it?" He muttered sarcastically.

"It's nice to see you finally awake, Merlin." Arthur said. "Did you have a nice nap while the rest of us actually worked to get us all out of here?"

"I guess if you call being knocked unconscious a nap." Merlin replied. "How is everyone else?"

"Bumps on the head and Leon has a few broken ribs but nothing worse than that." Arthur answered.

"Thats good to hear." Merlin said. Relief seemed to visibly wash over him.

"I'm going to go collect the scattered provisions." Percival said patting Merlin lightly on the knee. "I'm glad to see that you're alright."

Merlin looked at Percival with confusion spread across his face and then at the knee Percival had just touched. His brows came together in a face that Merlin often made when he was confused at an order Arthur gave him.

"Now Merlin," Arthur began in a soft speaking voice as soon as Percival was out of earshot. "Percival may not show his emotions that often, but he doesn't swing that way. You have nothing to worry about."

Merlin still seemed distracted, as though he had heard nothing of what Arthur said. He was looking at his legs as thought they were foreign to him. He looked up to Arthur and the realization of what he said finally hit him.

"Of course I know that you prat." Merlin said with a red face at the awkward conversation Arthur had began. Arthur smirked and continued on to tease him, but was stopped when Merlin spoke.

"I need you to do something."

"You know, Merlin, I don't really think that you make the orders around here." Arthur said sarcastically.

"Arthur please." Merlin pleaded. Arthur eyed his manservant's expression and saw that Merlin was genuinely concerned at that point in time. It was odd to see Merlin being serious in any situation.

"What is it Merlin." Gwaine asked picking up on Merlin's out of character behavior. "Are you injured?"

Arthur felt as though he had been punched in the gut. How could he have been so inconsiderate? He hadn't even thought to ask how Merlin was even after he woke up so much later than everyone else. He had been too concerned with his own feelings of relief about him simply being awake. He hadn't even considered that just because Merlin woke up doesn't mean it was in one piece.

"I'm not entirely sure." He replied to Gwaine while he distractedly lifted his arms and hands in specific movements. He seemed lost in thought as he glanced to his feet.

"Are you in pain?" Arthur asked looking his servant up and down to search for any sign of further injury, a broken bone sticking out at an odd angle or blood that he had missed. Arthur found nothing

"My head is pounding and I think I landed a bit funny."

"Funny how?" Arthur asked. "Where does it-"

"Arthur can you do what I ask." Merlin interrupted. "Please."

Normally Arthur would have reprimanded Merlin for interrupting him, but he only nodded.

"I need you to grab an edged rock and run it down my legs."

Arthur gave him a quizzical look so Merlin continued. "I know it's an odd sounding request, but please."

Gwaine took the initiative when Arthur did not immediately do so and did as Merlin asked. Arthur simply watched in the dimly lit room as Gwaine took a rock and ran it from Merlin's knee and down to his foot on both legs with enough force for him to feel it, but not cause any damage. Merlin simply laid there. It was then when Arthur realized that Merlin hadn't moved an inch since he woke up. He hadn't even reacted when Gwaine finished his odd request, he simply laid there and continuously stared at his legs.

"Care to share what that was about, Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"I was just confirming something." Merlin said not taking his gaze away from his own legs.

"Well spit it out." Arthur said. He didn't want the uneasiness that was quickly filling him again to be shown so he opted to pretend otherwise.

Merlin took a deep breath and finally tore his gaze away. His eyes went up to Arthur's.

"When I landed funny I must have had the same issue that Leon had when he hit the ground, but-"

Merlin paused and looked away from Arthur. Arthur felt the pit in his stomach grow deeper as he felt that he didn't want to know what Merlin was going to say, but knew that he had to.

"But what?" Arthur asked hesitantly swallowing the lump in his throat.

"But instead of a rib being broken I am almost certain that my lower back has been." He looked into Arthur's eyes. They were filled with various emotions ranging from guilt to fear to sadness. "I'm paralyzed."


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur's stomach dropped after he heard his manservant's devastating words. He, ironically, felt numb. He didn't register the other knights' reactions and their various states of shock. Gwaine's rage filled shouting that ricocheted off the walls followed by a large rock slamming into the dripping walls was sounded as though he were hearing it from underwater. The other knights seemed to have simply sat in place while they digested the gravity of what had happened.

It was only when Merlin gently gripped his forearm that Arthur was finally ripped from his shock. Arthur put his hand on top of Merlin's. The unfairness of the situation washed over him again and again. Merlin didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve any suffering that so often followed him around like a shadow. The few times that Merlin had been gravely injured felt like a breeze compared to this. This time was different. Before this, Arthur always had a deep seated knowledge that Merlin would be fine. He didn't know how or why but it had been always been present. He had it with the poisoned chalice, the dorocha, and even when he lost Merlin after being mauled by a mace in the very woods that ran above them. Merlin would always return back to Arthur's side, healthy and with a chipper attitude that Arthur hated to admit he liked having around. This was something that nothing could solve. Gaius couldn't just heal paralysis like he could mend a broken bone. This was permanent.

The fall that he took blame for had caused this. Because of him his joyous and ever bothersome servant would never walk again. Arthur felt slightly dizzy at the thought. He had once seen a knight paralyzed after battle. He had been a man of action right up until his injury, always eager to serve Camelot with everything he had. He was discharged honorably and given a handsome sum for his large sacrifice to Camelot. A banquet was thrown in his honor that Arthur had attended. When he saw the knight he knew immediately that he was different. His smile was wholly fake. A veneer to mask the sadness that drained away his typically spirit. He was only a shell of the man that Arthur had known.

Looking down upon his friend Arthur imagined Merlin in the same position. He couldn't bear the thought that he would live what that knight went through.

"Dammit Merlin, why is it always you?"

Merlin looked up into the eyes of his best friend. They were heavy with guilt and worry was present in every line across his face. If only Arthur knew what had actually happened. As they had been falling, Merlin slowed the descent of everyone and in doing so gave everyone a much slower landing than what they would have actually had. Obviously, he had failed quite spectacularly as Leon and himself sustained injuries, something that Gaius would yell at him endlessly for not being more careful when they returned to Camelot.

"It was just an accident, Arthur." Merlin reassured sincerely. "I'll be fine."

The truth was that Merlin had no idea how he would fare after this was all over. He was paralyzed and in turn lost the complete function of his lower half. Merlin felt that he had failed all of Albion. Yes, he had kept Arthur safe once again, but how was he ever going to be able to continue protecting Arthur when he couldn't even protect himself. He would be unable to follow him anywhere which allowed ample opportunities for those wishing him harm to follow through with their plans. It would be nearly impossible for him to be able to do any of the chores that had been so easily accomplished let alone keep his king protected. He had taken his ability to walk for granted and now that he had lost it he realized just how much he needed it.

A slight shiver ran across the upper half of Merlin's body and Arthur realized just how cold the cave was.

"How about we try to find materials for a fire and settle in for the night." Leon said, seemingly the only one to have recovered somewhat after the news of Merlin's injury.

Arthur nodded silently and began searching for anything that would be useful for burning. He came up empty handed except for a few small notebooks that had medical notes scrawled in Merlin's nearly illegible handwriting. Elyan came up with similar items.

A whistle that eerily distorted in the high tunnel directed Arthur's attention to Percival who was a short ways down the cave call for him. Walking toward the call he saw Percival in the dim light of his torch standing next to an oddly stacked pile of log. The logs were long enough to span the width of the tunnel and were stacked about four feet tall. They were also tied together and seemed to be anchored to the ground somehow.

"Why are these here?" Elyan asked as he looked at the randomly stacked wood. Elyan bent down and ran a hand along the length of the log on the top. "It's smooth." He said.

"I have no idea." Percival looked farther down the tunnel as though he was convinced something would pop out of the shadows. "These were placed here specifically by someone."

Arthur was equally confused. He had never seen anything like it. It was in an underground tunnel of all places. Why would someone go to the trouble of arranging logs in such a manner? Unable to come up with a logical explanation, Arthur said, "We can debate why they are here after we have a fire going. Let's head back to the others."

The three knights untied the top piece and hauled it back to camp. Upon arrival back to camp, Percival began to chop the wood into burnable pieces with a small hatchet they had taken along. Arthur kept himself busy by building a base for the fire to grow from. There wasn't a lot for him to do so he settled for repeatedly rearranging the kindling for the fire in different ways. The continuous work helped him to keep his racing mind quiet.

Arthur spared a quick glance over to Merlin and saw that Gwaine was helping to make him more comfortable. Gwaine gently eased a bag under Merlin's head as a makeshift pillow. Arthur saw the young man grimace from the slight movement. He laid there taking slow deep breaths as Gwaine finished. Gwaine took off his red, dragon emblazoned cape and draped it across Merlin. A mumbled thanks could be heard from him. Merlin looked at Arthur and gave him one of his signature grins to which Arthur halfheartedly returned. He then quickly turned back to his meaningless work and away from his friend's gaze concerned gaze.

Merlin knew that his friend blamed himself completely for what had happened to him as soon as he turned away. Arthur was distancing himself in order to not let his emotions get the best of him. It was a tactic that Arthur had used after Gwen had kissed Lancelot. Arthur may have thought it would help, but Merlin of all people knew how lonely dealing with guilt could get. It ate at a you. Tearing away any thought that wasn't what had birthed it into the world. Merlin had felt this way for months after Freya had died. Merlin's entire life may have just changed, but he was not going to let Arthur's change too. He couldn't drag Arthur through the mud with him.

Merlin settled to watch as Percival started the fire. Two strikes of the flint was all he needed and soon the fire had grown to a decent size. The flames licked at the open air and finally gave everyone a better view of each other in the darkness. Gwaine's cloak coupled with the newly born fire warmed Merlin to a more comfortable state. As he gazed at the fire his heart rate suddenly quickened and his magic flared up. Something was coming. Merlin only ever felt like this when a magical presence was within close proximity. The feeling came as fast as it left him. Merlin attempted to sense the source of the magic by spreading his magic out like a blanket, searching for what the eye could not see in the darkness of the cave. He frustratedly withdrew it when he found nothing. Worry continued to build inside of him. Whatever it had been could pose a threat to all of them and he couldn't even do anything about it. He felt completely helpless. The most powerful warlock on earth thwarted by a blow to the back. How was he supposed to fight to keep them safe when he was like this?

"Alright men," Arthur said in a commanding tone which brought Merlin's attention away from the magical presence. "Let's get some rest. We can't continue searching for a way out if we are all exhausted." He turned his attention to Gwaine whose back was turned towards Merlin. "Gwaine, I want you to take the first watch."

"Yes, sire." Gwaine said with an uncharacteristic bite in his voice.

"Is something the matter, Sir Gwaine?" Arthur asked matching his tone. Gwaine turned to face him with a glare.

"Actually, yes something is the matter."

"Well spit it out then." Arthur said feeling uneasiness fill him. This wasn't like the typical happy Gwaine who could make a joke in the worst of times. This Gwaine was furious and far angrier than Arthur had ever seen before.

"We are stuck in this mess because of poor leadership." Gwaie answered, confirming Arthur's thoughts as to why he was angry.

"I would suggest that you watch your tone when addressing your king," Arthur said dangerously.

"No," Gwaine said bitterly. " I will not watch my tone."

"Gwaine, stop." Merlin said softly. He tried to get Gwaine's attention by tugging slightly on his trousers, but was ignored. Gwaine stomped on the ground as he took an aggressive step towards Arthur. He shoved a pointed finger in his direction.

Gwaine spat. "You should have been more careful."

A dry laugh forced it's way through past Arthur's throat. It was odd feeling the laughter bubble with none of the essence of joy that so often times gave it life. "I didn't think a simple hunting trip would turn out this way." Arthur threw his hand up towards the hole that was so far above them.

"That's right, _you_ didn't think."

Arthur's ears rung with a clanging anger. It vibrated through his brain muddling his reasoning and deciding that he would be very happy sinking his fist into Gwaine's teeth. Leon's calm and steady voice dampened his seething anger.

"Gwaine, he is still your king and is entitled to your respect whether or not you deem fit to give it."

"It is quite alright, Leon." Arthur said without any valid reasoning. Maybe he wanted someone in the damned place to tell him the truth. Everyone else skirted around issues like this just because he was the king. As disrespectful and horrible as Gwaine's comments were they came from a place of validity. Arthur's tone turned icy. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

"Yes, _your majesty_ , I do have more concerns to bring to your attention." Gwaine stated bitterly. "You bring him everywhere no matter how dangerous it may be. He's wearing a damn neckerchief while the rest of us are wearing full armor."

"Merlin is no knight, Gwaine. He is just a servant."

"A servant who would do _anything_ for you. You never consider how vulnerable he is in comparison to us"

Arthur took a step back as though he had been punched. Anger pounded in his ears and he felt the guilt and shame that had been accumulating since Merlin told them hit its peak. Arthur glared into the venomous eyes of one of his most trusted knights.

Arthur was taken aback. "How was I supposed to know?"

"Because he told you!"

Arthur had no way to combat that. He was nearly positive that had been on everyone's minds. His eyes flashed to Merlin who had taken a sudden interest in his neckerchief.

"I know," Arthur began, "And it is a mistake that I will have to live with for the rest of—"

"Don't you _dare_ finish that statement. Merlin will be the one living with _your_ mistake not you. My friend will never walk again because _you_ decided that he wasn't worth listening to."

That was Arthur's breaking point. Rage surged through him. He suddenly leapt at Gwaine with his fists balled. If it were not for Percival and Elyan stepping in between Arthur and Gwaine, Arthur's fists would have reached their intended destination.

"STOP IT!" Merlin nearly roared in an attempt to get them to see reason. They all immediately stopped in surprise at the servant's outburst. Arthur had altogether forgotten his manservant was still even present. He had been too wrapped up in Gwaine's antagonizing comments to be able to think clearly. "This was all an accident. It was not one person's fault. We can't focus on my- situation right now. You all need to think clearly if you ever want to get out of here. "

Gwaine and Arthur sent each other another glare in a test of wills until Gwaine decidedly shrugged out of Elyan's and Percival's grasp and stomped off down the tunnel. Arthur turned angrily on his heel. He couldn't handle looking at anyone, let alone Merlin.

"I'll take the first watch." Leon said hesitantly as if her were worried about another outburst occurring. When no one else spoke he continued. "I haven't done that much and I am not that tired anyway."

Arthur's only acknowledgment that he heard Leon was a stiff nod. He then made his way back over to Merlin who was looking at him in a worried way. He knew that Merlin would want to talk to him or reassure him, but Arthur just couldn't put up with anyone else lying to him by saying this whole thing wasn't his fault. He may have hated Gwaine for what he had said, but at least he had the guts to say the truth. Arthur ignored Merlin's staring and lay down facing away from him with sleep being the farthest thing from his mind.

Merlin lay there waiting for Arthur's breathing to even out as it would when sleep finally overtook him, but it never did. Merlin wished that he could tell everyone the truth of what happened, but he couldn't. There was no feasible way that Merlin would make it out intact if they discovered his magic. He was lucky that his secret had lasted this many years with only a few people finding out about it. A sudden yawn forced its way through him. Merlin tried to fight the feeling of exhaustion that was creeping up, but it became too much. Merlin let his eyes close for just a moment, but was soon overtaken by sleep's call.

Black was all he dreamed about while he slept. There was no sparkling image of Camelot, no smile from Gwen, no hug from Gaius and no kiss from Freya. The usual nightmares that always managed to wreak havoc in his mind were absent from his sleep as well. It was just a slate of complete and utter darkness.

His dreamless sleep was anything but peaceful for as he found himself jolting awake after what seemed like a few minutes. An overwhelming and sudden fear overtook him. It took quite a bit of will power to keep his magic from surfacing to combat whatever presence he had just felt. A sudden noise to his left startled him further. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and looked around as much as his injuries would allow. Merlin quickly discovered that the source of the noise had been Arthur. The logs found in the tunnel were in his hands and he was piling a few onto the dying embers of the fire. After situating the remaining logs, Arthur returned to seat himself relatively close to Merlin. As he lowered himself onto the cavern floor a long sigh escaped his lips.

Arthur cast a quick glance at Merlin and their eyes met briefly before Arthur returned to looking at the fire.

"I didn't know you were awake." Arthur said. His gaze continued to be directed at the fire.

"Well maybe I would be able to sleep if someone didn't stomp about. It is a difficult thing to sleep through." Merlin said in an attempt to start the usual playful banter. Arthur didn't pick up on it. He only gave a small smile that held no true emotion behind it. Guilt weighed in his friends eyes dousing any light typically present. Merlin knew Gwaine's words were still coursing through Arthur's mind. Silence continued for several more moments before Merlin decidedly spoke up.

"I don't blame you for anything that happened, Arthur."

Arthur tossed a smaller piece of wood into the fire. It landed with a soft thud, disrupting it and causing sparks to travel upwards from the fire. "If I had listened to you then you wouldn't be in the state that you are."

"You didn't know what would happen." Merlin began. He struggled to find the right words to say. "I didn't even know what would happen it was just a-"

"Funny feeling." Arthur finished for Merlin. He finally turned back to face him. A small smile played on his lips. "Hell Merlin, maybe they are more accurate than we thought."

Merlin saw the slight twinkle in Arthur's eyes and he chuckled slightly. The laughter was cut short after a sharp pain shot across his back. He grimaced and waited for the pain to pass, Arthur's eyed Merlin and the smile that he had gained quickly vanished. Arthur made to help Merlin inane way possible, but was stopped when Merlin held up his hand signaling him to stop. Merlin took several deep breaths before the pain lessened.

"Arthur, I need you to promise me something." Merlin began when he could finally form words again. "I- I can't be moved." Merlins saw that Arthur was about to interject. "You and everyone else knows it so please don't deny it. We would need a stretcher to even be able to come close to moving me without causing further damage. I know it sounds strange but if something were to happen or I were to get another funny feeling I need you to promise me that you won't stay behind."

"Merlin-"

"You need to protect yourself first. Promise me." Merlin pleaded.

Arthur looked into the bright blue eyes of his manservant. Even in the state that he was in, Merlin cared only for the safety of the people around him. Arthur felt another stab of guilt. Merlin wouldn't have had to worry about this if it wasn't for him.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"My life is nothing compared to yours and Camelot needs you. The people need you."

Arthur saw the devotion in his manservant's eyes. Loyalty that Arthur felt he didn't deserve. He had failed Merlin. "I promise."

He hated himself for saying it.

A huge weight seemed to life off Merlin's shoulders as Arthur noticed that his manservant seemed to visibly relax.

"I'm going to try to get more sleep." Merlin said. Arthur nodded in response and turned his gaze once again to the fire. Merlin turned his head away and pulled Gwaine's cape closer to his chin. Arthur saw this and removed his own and draped it across Merlin's lanky frame. He heard a mumbled thanks. Arthur went to sit back down in front of the fire. When he glanced back over at Merlin his deep slow breathing indicted that he had fallen asleep. Arthur looked around to the rest of his sleeping knights. Just last night they had all been around a campfire just like this making jokes at each other's expenses and enjoying time away from home. If Arthur had known ahead of time what they had in store he would have fiercely clung to that memory. But Arthur hadn't known that it was the last night they would ever do that. Even now just one night later he could hardly remember anything that was said. Arthur frustratedly threw a small chunk of the wood at the fire and settled in for the long night ahead of him.


	4. Chapter 4

Arthur didn't wake any of the knights to switch off for watch. Even if he had, he would not have succeeded in falling asleep from to the oceans of guilt over what happened to Merlin. None of the knights commented about not having to take the watch, which Arthur was grateful for. The knights were his friends and they knew him too well. They were mindful that he had a reason and did not question him. Everyone had awoken at similar times of their own accord. Merlin remained the one to sleep the latest, which nobody bothered him about. Each succeeded in staying busy while not contributing to anything productive. For Arthur, he did it to take his mind off the events of the past day.

Arthur's attention was drawn away from the knife he was continuously sharpening towards Merlin as he laughed at Percival. It seemed that the large knight was tasked in preparing the breakfast. He was attempting to follow Merlin's cooking instructions of the measly bit of food left in the bags. Arthur's stomach clenched at the emptiness inside. They were about to eat their one and only meal that had been packed by Merlin the previous day. Arthur had wanted him to bring it instead of leaving it at camp with the intention to stay out the majority of the day hunting. Arthur grabbed his water skin to wet his dry throat. Giving it a bit of a shake Arthur realized that it was less than halfway full. They had intended to fill them at the next stream they found. He cursed their bad luck. Now their only option was the terribly stagnant and dirty water at the end of the cave. Arthur spared only a small sip of the liquid. Their rations were dangerously low, with no way to stock them. They would have to leave within the day if they were to come out of this alive.

Arthur glanced around to the others and saw that Elyan was doing a thorough examination of Leon's injuries to see if there was any further damage. Gwaine was giving the area another look over for other supplies that may have missed the previous night. He was obviously keeping his distance as much as possible from Arthur, and he was glad for the added space.

Try as he might, there was no hateful feeling towards Gwaine. Arthur knew that his father would have come down hard if a knight had ever talked to him like that. Uther would have removed the knight's status and he possible would have faced banishment. It was different for Arthur. Gwaine and the other knights were his friends. He refused to see them as tools for him to use as his father saw his own knights. Arthur had fought with these men for years. They had grown past the veneer of king and knights. They were real to each other. Gwaine had spoke the truth and Arthur could not deny the facts.

Arthur noted that the cavern was ominously lit now with just a bit of sunlight shining through where they fell. Looking up at the small light, Arthur felt a shock swell in him that Merlin was the only one to hold a serious injury. A drop from a height like that would typically kill a man. How they were each still alive was a mystery to him. He would make a point of consulting Gaius on falls such as these when they returned to Camelot.

Arthur felt as though he was punched in the gut. _If_ they returned. He had no idea if it was even possible to get out of this place. One exit was completely out of the running. If the other was blocked like the first then there would be nothing left for them to do. And even if they did find a way out, what would happen with Merlin? He had said so himself the previous night that he would need a stretcher to make it to the surface and back to Camelot.

Arthur ripped himself away from those thoughts. He couldn't focus on that right now. For the time being, it was imperative that he remained unattached. His mind needed to be clear in order to make the right decisions that would maximize their chances of staying alive, even if that meant leaving Merlin behind.

A shout of triumph came from Percival's and Merlin's direction. He had finally managed to prepare a sparse breakfast from Merlin's instructions. They all moved to sit by the quickly diminishing fire and began eating. Arthur simply watched his knights and servant interacting with each other. Elyan was entertaining them with stories about Gwen and his childhood, many of which were highly amusing. Arthur would have joined them in their laughter had he been in any other situation. It was easy for them. They simply awaited whatever decision Arthur would make. Arthur felt a sudden detachment. He considered them some of his closest friends. Hell, Merlin wasn't half as bad as Arthur told him he was, but even after the many years he had known them his title was a barricade. Arthur pushed around the breakfast mush as he waited for the opportune time to retreat away from the group yet again.

"I fell in a swamp up to my waist just because Gwen wanted a tadpole!" The following laughter that ensued from Elyan's tale was contagious. He had been surprise as the sound that came from his chest was even remotely close to a laugh. He caught Percival wiping his eyes from the tears and Merlin shaking his head. He glanced over to Merlin who had his crooked grin stretching across his face. To his surprise, Merlin looked his way as well. Arthur saw his smile grow even larger. Arthur could stop himself as he smiled genuinely for the first time since Merlin told them of his paralysis. Perhaps they would be able to get past this with time and healing.

A sudden loud crashing echoed through the cavern as what sounded like a large object met the ground. They silenced themselves immediately and their fading laughter mingled with he resounding noise that had silenced them. Arthur held his breath as he listened for any potential threats. For several long moments they each stared into the darkness of the cave, alert and listening for anything else.

"Perhaps it was just a random occurrence." Percival tried to say optimistically. Another moment passed in silence. Arthur willed his ears to seek out any other noise, but found none. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Merlin's odd movement. It was as though he was startled by a sudden realization. The worried blue eyes of his manservant met his and Arthur suddenly knew what they meant.

"No, Merlin." Arthur said in a firm tone that cut harshly into the silence. He reached behind him for his sheathed sword and saw that the knights mimicked his actions.

"You promised Arthur," Merlin said urgently. "Leave me."

"What the hell is happening?" Gwaine asked glaring at Arthur.

"Something's coming." Merlin said adamantly, but Arthur rolled his eyes.

"How can you be so sure?" Arthur asked. Merlin averted his gaze and looked away from Arthur. He refused to answer. "Merlin your funny feelings don't mean anything and you know it." Arthur said in a firm tone.

"I just know." Merlin insisted. His eyes pleaded for Arthur to listen to him. "Now get out of here, please."

Arthur looked down at the sword in his hand and nearly laughed. "I can't even believe that I let you get to me. Your funny feelings aren't even-"

At that exact moment, the dying fire they had been around exploded upward. All the knights jumped back away from the licking flames as it began growing outward. Shouting could be heard and Arthur froze in horror as he saw that Merlin had hardly moved away. He frantically pushed himself backwards using his arms. The sweat on his brow reflected the fire that continued to move closer to Merlin, threatening to overcome him.

Throwing caution to the wind, Arthur quickly grabbed Merlin by the shoulders and began pulling the younger man away from what could have been certain death. Merlin cried out in pain but Arthur ignored it for the sole purpose of saving his manservant. Arthur would deal with the potential ramifications of his careless handling with Merlin later. Right now all that mattered was getting Merlin away from the flames. Without a second glance, Arthur set Merlin down at a safe distance and drew his sword from its sheath, following his knights. The fire suddenly extinguished itself bathing them in darkness. Everyone stood stock still and barely dared to breath.

"Show yourself, sorcerer" Arthur shouted into the darkness. Silence followed. For several moments all that could be heard was a steady drip of water falling from the cavern walls.

A flame suddenly lit up directly in front of the group. A man's cloaked outline could be seen and the flame appeared to be held in his hand. Arthur could see his twisted smile peaking beneath the black cape that blended into the surroundings of the cave.

"Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot and his loyal knights," The man said with a loathing that seeped through every syllable. "How long have I waited to be able to face you like this."

Arthur gripped the hilt of his sword tighter than before. "Leave us, sorcerer, or we will be forced to attack. I can assure you we will show no mercy."

"Arthur, don't do anything stupid." Came Merlin's voice from behind.

"Your pet seems to know a thing or two about survival." The man lifted his head exposing his dark eyes. "Here's the deal. You will come with me willingly or I will force you to."

"Why would we do anything you say?" Arthur laughed bitterly. A swell of confidence ran through him as he pointed his drawn sword towards the sorcerer. "You are just one-"

Before Arthur could finish, two more flames lit up on either side of the man exposing more cloaked figures. There was movement heard and suddenly flames were appearing all around them. At least fifteen sorcerers surrounded them, trapping them from any hope of escape.

The man let out a laugh that seemed to stem from the sight their hopeless predicament. "Of all the places you have found my people, we never thought this would be one of them."

Arthur said nothing. The man was taunting him. Arthur knew this man sought revenge for his and his father's actions in their fight against those with magic. If this were any other day, Arthur would have taken his chances and fought. His eyes flicked towards where he could see Merlin's foot. He remained in the spot Arthur had dropped him. If Arthur tried to fight his way out of this, Merlin would be caught in the middle.

"Not so brave now when you don't have squadrons of knights with you to attack our camps."

Before Arthur or any of the knights could say a thing, Merlin of all people spoke out.

"You're druids?"

Arthur sent him a steady glare. Merlin's eyes flickered to Arthur's momentarily and then back to the supposed druid. What was Merlin playing at drawing the attention to himself? He was injured and hardly able to hold himself up at an angle where he could see everyone.

The man glared at him. "What makes your so sure?"

Merlin opened his mouth to answer, but Arthur beat him to it.

"He isn't." Arthur stepped closer to the man effectively cutting him off from his servant. "Merlin here is just a simple minded servant who never knows when to keep his _mouth shut_. Just leave him be. It is me you want after all."

The man seemed to consider his words for a moment. Arthur's heart was in his throat when he saw golden yes light up behind the cloak. He suddenly felt a rough force shove him to the wall. He hit with such speed that the air left his lungs leaving him struggling to take a breath in. The knights had also met similar fates that Arthur had. Leon's face had contorted into a grimace as his broken ribs met the hard rock.

"I asked him the question not you, Pendragon." Arthur felt the force crushing him further into the rock face at the mention of his name. He walked up to Merlin and knelt down next to him.

"Merlin," He repeated from what Arthur had said. "That is an odd name, isn't it?"

"It is pretty normal to me." Merlin glared into the hateful eyes of the man in front of him.

 _'Is it now?"_ Merlin's frame jolted as the man in front of him spoke to his mind. He had never spoken to someone so filled with hate like that. It was almost as though the man shared not only his thoughts but also the emotion behind them. The raw anger he felt seeping from this man unsettled him.

 _'I feel as though Emrys would suit you better.'_

Merlin remained silent. So the man knew who he was. Typically, Druids nearly worshipped him. Not that he ever asked for it, but even the awkward encounters he had with them over their formalities were welcomed to this. The man was close enough where he could feel his hot breath washing across his face. He cringed inwardly at the closeness of this encounter both physically and mentally. Even if he were to use his magic against him, there were others that would get to Arthur and the knights before he had a chance to stop them.

 _'What do you even want?'_ Merlin finally asked.

The man sent a smirk. _'I want a world where we are not controlled by prophecies that have no valid hold on reality. Where figureheads such as the great Emrys are simply bedtime stories we recite to our children.'_

Before Merlin had a chance to react the man began murmuring quickly under his breath followed by glowing eyes. Merlin's pounding heart suddenly slowed as he was clothed in a blanket of calming warmth. It was delightfully comfortable. His thoughts muddled together as his brain became foggy. It was all wrong though. Merlin fought to cling to reality. He so desperately wanted to sleep, but he clung on.

"Stop it," Merlin murmured. He opened his eyes only for them to be clouded over. He tried to blink it from his eyes, but the spell he was under was too strong. "Please."

A ringing filled his ears and what had felt like a warm blanked now became suffocatingly hot. His lungs felt empty no matter how many times he inhaled. His chest burned. Over the white noise that grew in his ears he could make out the shouts of Arthur and the knights. Merlin sluggishly looked around for his friends but was only met by the same man as before.

 _'Fighting it only makes it more painful, Emrys. It is inevitable, but by all means try to overcome it. You'll only suffer more.'_

Merlin gave out one last choking gasp before his eyes shut. The pain fled quickly after that and the ringing was replaced by complete silence. Merlin had finally given into unconsciousness.

"Merlin!" Arthur desperately tried to push away from the wall. It was futile as he barely budged. Arthur growled in frustration.

"Markus," Came a new voice. It had been soft yet commanding. Had Arthur not been trapped in a room full of angry sorcerers baying for his blood he would have been almost soothing. Arthur looked to where the noise came from and saw a woman dressed in a similar hooded robe joining them. "What is happening here?"

The man named Markus quickly stood from Merlin's prone form. Bitter frustration flitted across his face until a well sculpted mask entombed his emotions. The woman gazed down upon Merlin. Her eyes widened and she put a hand up to her mouth.

"Is that-?" The woman's question went unfinished as she took a knee right beside him. "It can't be him."

"I do not believe so, Catherine." Markus replied. "Whoever he is though he holds power, so much so that when he became- agitated I feared he would lash out so I was forced to use a sedative spell on him."

Arthur felt confusion coursing through him. What were they even talking about? The man named Markus used magic on an unarmed and severely injured man. Whatever angle he was using Arthur wanted Merlin to have no part in it.

"It doesn't make any difference who you think he is. " Markus shouted. "The prophecy is dead and with it all those who played a part."

"We cannot simply ignore this." She adamantly stated. "There are some who still hold fast to their beliefs." She continued to look down upon him in awe. "What happened to him?"

"He was injured before I got here." Markus replied cooly.

Arthur looked to the woman and became enraged. He hated how close she was to Merlin. He was incredibly vulnerable like this and Arthur was forced to watch from several feet away. She suddenly reached out to push his hair away from his face.

"Don't touch him!" Arthur shouted. His face pressed harder against the wall. He grit his teeth to keep from crying out as the pressure increased. As soon as he was almost unable to bear it, the pressure was suddenly pulled away from his back. Arthur fell to the ground with a thud. He felt the knights fall next to him as well. He made to stand but was stopped by a yet another force on his shoulders. He looked up and his eyes met the cloaked woman. It covered the majority of her face, hiding her from Arthur's sight. He pulled his vision away from her and tried to find Merlin, but he failed to see him whatsoever.

"Chain them and bring them to the holding cells until their trial."

"My servant," Arthur began trying to catch the woman's eye. Her cloak fell several more inches in front of her already hidden face as she turned to look down at him. "He is seriously injured. Please don't harm him further."

The woman stood there for several moments. She said and gave nothing to suggest she even acknowledged his words. Arthur cursed himself as worry held a tight grip inside of his stomach. He should have been less attached when it came to Merlin. Arthur knew that these druids did not like him. That much they had made perfectly clear. If they wanted anything from him then they would be able to use Merlin as a means to achieve it. They had leverage now.

The cold bite of metal encircled his wrists, securing them firmly behind his back. The shackles hit against their wrists as they were forced to walk down the tunnel. A strong force pushed at them to continue moving. Try as he might, Arthur could not see Merlin in any way. Glancing slightly to the right, he saw that Leon was walking next to him. Arthur struggled to move even an inch closer to him. The magical force barricaded him from the others.

Arthur just started to see lights at glowing at the end of the tunnel when a blindfold was suddenly pulled across his field of vision. This was coupled with a strong grip on his bicep. As he was led through the tunnel, he was forced to blindly follow his enemy. His foot collided with a step, sending him tumbling forward. The man holding him only gave a small bit of effort to keep him on his feet. He fell with a hard thud, unable to lessen the blow without being able to use his hands. Arthur noticed a small sliver of the ground was visible. The fall must have moved his blindfold slightly. It wasn't enough to know where he was going, but it was enough to not make of himself a total clumsy buffoon as Merlin would have in this situation. Arthur took advantage of this. It was a few minutes when he realized the ground was no longer the rough rocks they had fallen onto. This was an entirely flat and well kept floor, as though it had been carved specifically.

They walked for several more minutes, turning every so often to go down another hallway. He tried to follow the path, but it was to many turns to remember. Arthur frustratedly followed without any other option.

"Where are we being taken?" He demanded. The druids who escorted them simply ignored him and opted to tighten their grips on his chained arms.

Arthur was about to ask again when the blindfold was ripped from his eyes. He blinked taking in his bright surroundings. It had been over a day since they had seen anything that wasn't lit by a single fire or a torch. A set of ornate doors caught his eye. Along the edge of the door were delicately carved symbols. Arthur had no doubt that, if asked, Gaius would say they were of the old religion. The stench of magic reeked throughout the entire labyrinth they were trapped in. The thought of all these people who had been corrupted by magic, as his own sister had, sickened him.

Arthur had been so focused on his own thoughts that he had paid little attention to the buzzing chatter circulating from the other side of the door. Those holding him stopped momentarily outside the door. The very moment they did, the entire room silenced as though their presence had startled them all unanimously. Arthur glanced momentarily to the side of him and saw that his knights were entirely focused on their surroundings. Perhaps one of them had been able to map a trail in the maze of their journey to these doors. Arthur doubted it. Not that any of it would have mattered. They were trapped in a complex that had been undiscovered by Camelot until her very king had fallen accidentally into it. Fate must be having a good laugh about their situation because it seemed entirely unbelievable.

Hinges creaked as the doors opened wide. Arthur squinted slightly as a well lit room filled with oddly dressed people came into his sight. They wore robes that only Gaius would be caught wearing in Camelot. He was momentarily taken aback as he took in everyone's gaze. Some looked at him with utter contempt where others simply held a saddened expression.

A rough shove from behind sent him stumbling forward slightly. The perpetrator received a vehement glare from Arthur who took the time to readjust his posture. He was the bloody king of Camelot. He would make damn sure that these sorcerers knew of his status down to the slight nuances of how he held himself. He continued to walk though the parted crowd. His eyes caught a woman with long flowing hair peppered with strips of silver. The lines settled upon her aging face told Arthur that she spent much of her time smiling; however, it was not what she was doing at that moment. Her mouth was downturned in a hard and angry position. She caught Arthur's gaze with her own piercing eyes. They held a confidence that no follower would have. It was her that led these Druids. Her eyes flashed and with it came a heavy weight upon Arthur's shoulders. He fought against it, but it became too much. He was forced onto his knees in front of all these sorcerers.

"I wish I could say it was a pleasure to see you again, Arthur Pendragon." She stated. Arthur recognized her voice immediately. She was the woman from tunnels, Catherine.

Arthur settled for a glare. She smiled at him cynically and continued speaking.

"I must inform you, Pendragon, that it is not I who you kneel to." She walked around him from behind. It made his skin crawl to not follow her every movement with his eyes, but he forced himself to remain stoic. She was trying to rattle him and he would not allow her the pleasure of knowing that it was working. She came back to the front and Arthur lifted his head in a testament to his obstinance.

"You kneel before all of us." She said with her carefully chosen and constructed. "You kneel as the only recompense we have against the horrors of the Great Purge _your_ father began all those years ago."

Arthur's gut turned. This was not good. These people had more than two decades of anger building inside of them. How far would they go to seek their revenge for everything that happened in the past?

"My knights are innocent in that matter. They have only ever followed my orders." Arthur paused momentarily as he grasped for more ways to negotiate the safety of his friends. "Do whatever you want with me. Please, do not punish them for their loyalty to me."

The room erupted. Arthur heard people shouting indignantly after his words. Catherine stared down upon Arthur, scanning his face. Not losing her gaze, she held a hand up and the room was silenced once more.

"It would be wise for you to not ask of us any favors." Catherine turned her gaze to her people. "The men accompanying King Arthur have also been found guilty of atrocities against innocents. For that the punishment will be severe."

Arthur's blood boiled. If Merlin were here he would have stopped him from saying these next words.

"We have only ever fought for what is right. You condemn us because your hearts have been hardened by the practice of magic."

Catherine stared down at Arthur. She frowned slightly at him as though in pity. He felt rage surge through him once again. It was he who should be pitying them for being corrupted by practicing magic.

"If only you had learned before it was too late for you."

Arthur held back his reply and opted to glare at Catherine instead. She began to address the crowd when something in her shifted. Her body stiffened and she looked towards the door. Arthur tried his hardest to see who it was, but his head was held firmly in place facing the front. Arthur saw that those next to her also reacted as she had. Whispering broke out but was immediately silenced as the hinges of the doors creaked and someone new entered the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Merlin squinted as he opened his eyes to a brightly lit room. Had he overslept again? Arthur was going to throw him in the stocks for a week if he had. His body was heavier than after he was stung by a serket as the exhaustion weighed on him. He blearily looked around the large, spotless room. His confusion coupled with a new emotion, fear. He had no idea where he was. Well, he had some idea. There were rows of beds sitting innocuously in a pristine, windowless room indicating it to be an infirmary, but it was unlike anything in Camelot.

He started to sit up but felt a deep ache through his back. Memories of what had happened immediately came back to him. The events that had taken place flashed across his mind in jumbled pictures; the hunting trip, the ground falling beneath them, his paralysis, the man's hateful face as he looked upon his broken body with not even an inkling of sympathy.

His heart rate quickened. Where were Arthur and the knights? Even if he did know where to find them, Merlin couldn't move because of his extensive injuries. He looked at his useless legs. His heart leapt for a moment. A familiar warmth was pulsing through them. It was opposite of how they felt when he had been lying on the cold rock next to the dying flames. A small candle of hope lit in him and he prayed to anyone listening that it wasn't his mind playing tricks on him. He focused completely to even wiggle a toe on his right foot. To his surprise, his entire foot jerked to the side without any coordination whatsoever, but it _moved_. Merlin laughed as his other foot followed his directive as well. However sloppy and uncoordinated it was, he had the ability to move both of his legs.

Merlin's shaking laughter silenced as a noise reached his ears. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of the door moving open ever so slightly. He swung his legs out of the bed, hastily standing in order to give him more of an upper hand. The sudden movement was too much. His legs quickly gave out, sending him tumbling to the ground. He gritted his teeth as his back was riddled with shooting pain. Forgetting everything for just a moment, Merlin tried to focus solely on taking one breath after another, in and then out. He hardly registered as a young woman entered the room quickly after hearing his clattering fall.

"My lord Emrys!" He heard her cry as she quickly approached him. She fell to her knees directly in front of him. Her long light hair nearly reached the floor and her young face was contorted into one of intense worry. Merlin stiffened as she reached towards him. Although she seemed hardly a threat, he attempted to push away from her reach. His arms did most of the work as his legs refused to listen to him. He was stopped when his back hit the bed he had just fallen from. She must have caught his fear as she quickly pulled her hands away, opting to clasp them together in front of her instead. She seemed to be holding in a fierce desire to move closer to him.

"St-stay back." Merlin stuttered, failing miserably in his attempt to look like an intimidating warlock in his feeble position. His back screamed in pain from the rough fall.

"I mean you no harm." She said sincerely. She offered her hands up in a sign of peace. Merlin kept his eyes glued on her, vigilant of any ill intention that might be brought forth but none came. She gave him a small smile and offered one of her hands towards him.

"Will you allow me to help you, my lord?"

Merlin eyed her warily. She had a kind expression, one that reminded him much of Gwen's when they had first met as he was pelted with rotten food. He gave her a small nod and offered no resistance as she came closer. She kept her head bowed respectfully as she grabbed his arm and pulled it over her shoulder. Gently, she lifted him to the bed where Merlin resisted the urge to lay in. He refused to stay settled for even an extra moment. He had to know where the others were. Arthur could be in any sort of trouble. Waking up without knowing what happened to any of them was disorienting and terrifying. He placed a solid hand on the bed post and made to push himself off from it when the girl placed her hands up to stop him.

"Please my lord." She pleaded again "You must stay in bed as you will be weak for a while. The healers left me in charge of you and told me to keep you from injuring yourself further."

"I have to get out of here." Merlin implored again from the floor. "The Knights-"

"You mean the men from Camelot?"

"Yes!" Merlin exclaimed finally getting somewhere. "Do you know where they are?"

"Of course I do." She replied. "It's not everyday our people get to try the King of Camelot and his most trusted Knights so they can finally pay for their crimes with their lives."

Merlin felt his stomach drop. These Druids that were once a peaceful people were resorting to the same type of cruel punishment that Uther had performed. Merlin was disgusted at the animosity born out of the great purge. This was something that he should have been remedying before now. He should have given the druids the old _'Arthur is the once and future king so please don't try to kill the prat while I am still working through the details of the prophecy'_ talk. It was too late for that now. These druids had swam in their anger for too long and they were about to enact their revenge upon the person that was supposed to unite Albion and bring magic back to the land.

Kilgarrah should have elaborated more upon how difficult destiny can be sometimes.

"How long have I even been unconscious?"

"A much shorter time than the healers anticipated." She answered. "You were transported here directly and they began working on you immediately. They believed that the spell Markus put upon you would have kept you out for nearly a day, but it hasn't even been an hour yet since you arrived. I apologize that it is only me left here. Those more qualified than I went to the trial."

"I'm sure you are still better when it comes to healing." Merlin muttered under his breath. She obviously overheard it as her eyes widened.

"No," She affirmed. "You walk with more power than any of us can fathom containing."

Merlin smiled at the young girl. "It doesn't mean that I always know how to use it."

There was an awkward pause as the young girl gaped at him. Although he could barely move his legs, Merlin itched to leave the room and get his friend's out of this mess. The only problem was that everyone here knew he had magic, hell, they nearly worshipped him. It would be impossible for him to keep his magic a secret from Arthur and the knights.

Merlin couldn't focus on that issue at the moment.

"Take me to them." He said firmly.

"Wh-what?" Her eyebrows came together in a worried look. She looked frightened. Merlin realized the position she was put in. The healers left her in charge of him thinking he wouldn't wake for a while. She was fighting between her orders from them and his request for her to help him.

"But my lord, the effect of healing such an extensive injury means that you will be weak for a while. They need to continue to check up on you to make sure that everything went well. You were in a very bad state when you were brought here." She proudly smiled. "Your health is our top concern in the present time. You shouldn't be walking while you gain your strength back."

"I don't care!" Merlin said adamantly. Wondering how far his influence extended, he set his face in a stern look. "I order you to take me to them- immediately."

She looked at him with fear in her eyes. Merlin never liked anyone to look at him in that kind of light.

"Please," He added in a gentler way. "These men are my friends."

Her eyes widened. "I will help you, Lord Emrys." She answered. "But the healers will not be happy."

"We'll deal with them later. And you can call me Merlin. I never got your name." He said as she pulled his right arm over her shoulder. He tried to stand on his own, but quickly found that he could only help by keeping his legs from dragging. Pain shot through him again and his face contorted into a grimace. At least she couldn't see his discomfort.

"It's Mary." She said with effort. Merlin half-carried out of the door which lead to a hallway. They continued on but at a slow pace. It was obvious that his weight was exhausting her. Nevertheless, she continued on and made no complaint. Merlin was quite impressed at her stamina. As they continued on, he glanced as they passed multiple hallways that snaked away from the one they were traveling in. The entire complex seemed like a labyrinth of various passageways that went on for who knows how long. How anyone could find their way around this place was beyond him.

They finally arrived at a set of tall ornate wooden doors. There were two druids standing by the door. One did a double take when she saw Merlin and began to furiously pat the shoulder of the man standing next to her. He openly stared at Merlin as though he were a rare creature.

Breathing hard Mary said "Here we are."

Merlin felt his stomach do flip flops as he heard faint speaking behind the doors. He feared what would happen in there. Not wanting to look weak while walking in there, Merlin willed his magic to strengthen his legs. Exhaustion weighed heavily on him, but he had the ability to stand in a more respectable way while sill leaning on Mary slightly.

"Let us in." Merlin said simply. The woman immediately nodded and he eyes flashed a golden color.

As soon as the doors opened Merlin sensed the change in the room. All talking ceased and the occupants of the rather large and very full room turned their attention directly at him. There were hardly any other times when Merlin had felt the kind of anxiety that threatened to overwhelm him in that moment. The silence allowed for him to hear the blood pounding quickly in his ears. The room was packed with people of all ages. Some of the occupants gawked at him while others glared. A young boy was standing next to a woman Merlin assumed to be his mother. He tugged furiously on her robe and pointing at him.

There was no hiding from these people. They knew the secret that he had spent is life protecting. A secret he had killed people over. The stone wall constructed to hide that side of him from those he was closest to was torn down in front of these people. In a way it felt good to not have to hide that part of him, but that feeling was short-lived. When the dust settled, Arthur's accusing fiery eyes that screamed betrayal and for his pyre to be built was all Merlin could imagine. Taking a deep breath, he focused his mind. He needed to keep a clear head. By the reaction that Mary had, these druids still respected Emrys. Perhaps they would listen to him.

His eyes went to five chained and kneeling men facing the front of the room. Even though Merlin couldn't see their faces he knew immediately who they were. Arthur and the knights had their arms pulled behind their backs and held there with iron cuffs. From the back, their hair was slightly disheveled, but other than that they were unharmed. He pushed the magic down that had surfaced in response to a possible threat to Arthur. It wasn't what was needed now. Fighting would only make the situation worse for everyone.

"Lord Emrys." A woman's voice said. He could only assume she was the one in charge as she stood regally at the front of the room. His mind flashed to an image of Gwen at her coronation as queen of Camelot. Any nerves the new queen had on that day were masked by a fiercely strong and powerful presence that not even one of the oldest council members could have denied. That image was one that Merlin doubted he would forget any time soon. As Merlin watched her even more closely, he understood just how much of an influence she had as those immediately around her seemed to be readying themselves to act in the event that a sudden order were to be called. As she stepped forward, so did those around her. She walked towards him and stopped just passed Arthur and the knights who were still kneeling. "My name is Catherine. It is an honor to be in your presence. I am sorry at the confusion that my men had earlier. They had no idea it was you in the cave."

She took in his obviously weak form as he was still leaning against Mary. "I was informed by a healer that you were not going to leave the infirmary for a while until you regained your strength. You seem to be in need of more rest, my lord. We can postpone their sentencing until later so as to allow you more time to recover if your wish to be present. I'm sure we would be willing to allow your input in their sentencing as well."

Merlin willed more of his magic to help him stay standing and stepped away from Mary on his own. He prayed that he would strong enough to stay upright. It would be hard to sell himself as the almighty Emrys if he fainted in front of everyone.

"There will be no need for that because there will be no punishment for King Arthur and his Knights." Merlin said with as much strength and power as he could muster. In truth, his voice ended up shaking and cracking at the end. He watched as the Knights and Arthur stiffened at the sound of his voice. They knew it was him. By some unknown unity they all decidedly remained in silence as if to prompt Merlin to continue speaking. There was no way that he could worm his way out of this one with his secret still intact.

Life, as he knew it, was over.

"I don't understand." She said. "You need not follow his orders." Catherine motioned towards Arthur. "If he has any sort of control over you we can end it now."

Merlin swallowed the large lump resting in his throat. They obviously knew of the prophecy, yet years of hiding from Uther had blinded them to the fact that Arthur was the other side of the coin. Arthur played just as much if not more of a role in the creation of Albion as he did.

"Arthur and his knights are some of the finest men to ever live." Switching to a more commanding tone, Merlin added dangerously, "It would do you well to release them now before anything irreparable happens."

Outcry erupted throughout the people. Loud shouts echoed in the room and people frantically spoke to each other mentally. None seemed to want to accept what Merlin had just said.

A bold looking man stepped forward and Merlin recognized him as the one who had cast the sleeping enchantment on him.

"No disrespect," the man began in a tone that was laced with arrogance. "But why should we do that when we finally have the man responsible for hunting and killing our kind. He wouldn't have shown any of us this kindness. I say that we do the same."

"The reason is that King Arthur's destiny has been spoken about for centuries. He is the once and future king." At this statement the room erupted once again. Merlin was impressed with the effect that his words were having on the people.

"And furthermore, I will stand by King Arthur no matter what. He is not his father." Merlin took a breath to as pain ran through his back. He fought to keep his face neutral. "Arthur is a just king who will lead us all into a time of peace, a time of Albion."

The room stood in a combative silence. The man who had already spoken against him seemed to be preparing another argument. By the looks of it, he was not the only person to refuse to believe what Merlin was saying. Merlin knew he had to stop this quickly if he was to keep control of the situation. The most important thing at the moment was keeping his friends safe.

"You all know that you do not want me as an enemy." Merlin added and he saw the eyes of some widen in shock and fear.

Catherine looked intently at Merlin as though trying to find any weakness or fallacy in his statements. He stood his ground even when he wanted to collapse as her eyes studied him. Finding nothing she gestured to those attending Arthur and the Knights. They stepped forward quickly and removed the shackles binding them. Arthur and the Knights all leapt to their feet and quickly turned around. Shock was written evidently on their faces. Merlin glanced to Arthur who's face was riddled with emotions with many emotions- anger, sadness, betrayal. Merlin couldn't tell the difference. They met eyes and for a second Merlin thought that Arthur would hear him out. That was before the king's eyes hardened. Arthur quickly masked any emotion he was feeling. It was a practice Merlin had seen him do time and time again throughout the years.

Tearing his gaze away from Arthur so as to not let fear and guilt compromise himself, Merlin turned to Catherine and asked, "Am I correct in assuming that living quarters have been prepared for me or am I to stay in the infirmary?"

"They have." Catherine said. Merlin was convinced that she had noticed the awkward exchange that had just happened. What confused Merlin was that she didn't call it to the attention of everyone else. She allowed it to pass between them silently. Merlin watched her for a moment before he recognized something that he was feeling at the moment, guilt.

"Good," He continued. He was not in the condition to question her emotion. He was drained and felt the pain continually getting worse. "I'm going to take King Arthur and the Knights with me. We wish to not be disturbed for a while."

"Of course." Catherine said taken aback. She glanced from Arthur to Merlin calculatedly. Merlin swallowed the lump in his throat and attempted to reign in his flurry of emotions. From the few minutes of interacting with her, Merlin knew she was a very astute woman.

He was afraid for his friends. The only reason Arthur and the others were not being led to their execution was because he forced their compliance with a threat. It was not a solid foundation to build from, but it was a foundation nonetheless. He didn't know what she was capable of and preferred not to find out when he had to account for the lives of his closest friends.

"Mary will lead you there." Catherine stated after eyeing up his hopefully stoic expression. Merlin nodded and gestured for Arthur to follow. He fought the urge to react when when each of the Knights closed in upon their king as if to defend him. Arthur's face was a blank page that Merlin was unable to read. Arthur had always been so much more practiced in masking his emotions than Merlin was. Merlin wore his right on his face for all to see.

Mary began to lead them out of the large hall and Merlin finally began to look around at the occupants in the room. Some looked ecstatic. The prophecy was being realized. In their eyes Arthur was their great leader. Others still seemed to hold a grudge against the ruler of Camelot. It wasn't ideal, but it was definitely a start. Merlin attempted to prepare himself for the onslaught of reactions from Arthur and the Knights. Maybe he could say that he was pretending to be Emrys to keep them all safe. But these were foolish thoughts. There was no way that Merlin would be able to talk his way out of this one.

It was time for Merlin to stop running.

He was tired hiding who he was. He only wished this had been on his own terms. He had often thought about what the best way to tell Arthur. He would play out scenarios in his mind for hours at night. This had not been one of those imagined times. This was possibly the worst way for Arthur to discover his magic. He not only had to explain why he had magic but also why all these druids were calling him Emrys.

They walked in silence down a tunnel and passed several more ornately decorated doors until they stopped at one of them. Mary opened the door from them and lead them into the room before curtsying and leaving Merlin with the silent men. As she shut the door, Merlin went to ensure that it was locked. He didn't want anyone to disturb whatever would happen. There was no way to know how any one of the men in the room would react.

As Merlin turned around, he was violently slammed into the door behind him. His head hit against the solid frame hard enough for him to see stars. A hand gripped his shirt effectively pinning him in place. As Merlin's eyes cleared his stomach dropped.

It was Arthur.

Before Merlin could say anything, his king's other hand was on his throat, effectively stopping his air supply. The Knights circled around the pair at a distance. Each seemed angry, but none were as enraged as Arthur. His eyes were narrowed slits as he glared at his servant.

"Who are you?" He demanded. "And where is Merlin?"


	6. Chapter 6

Merlin stared into the hate filled eyes of his king. The smile that oftentimes adorned Arthur's lip was curled down in a snarl. His eyes were narrowed as he glared at Merlin with utter contempt. Merlin felt such a state of shock at his king's reaction that he hadn't even acknowledged his question.

"I won't ask this again, _sorcerer_." Arthur spat out the word. Letting up on his throat slightly to allow him enough air to breathe, he continued. "What have you done with Merlin?"

"Arthur it's me." Merlin tried to say strongly, but his voice ended up cracked and broken at the end. Staring into the contempt filled eyes of his friend, Merlin realized Arthur still couldn't see him for who he really was. This was going much worse than he had hoped. "I am still Merlin."

Without any warning, Arthur let out a vehement hiss and with all his strength threw Merlin to the floor. He landed in between Arthur and the knights, blocking him off from the only exit in the room. He nearly screamed at the jarring pain pulsating through his back.

Arthur barked out a laugh with a lack of genuine humor behind it. "You are a fool if you expect me to believe that. My manservant was paralyzed just hours ago."

"Please Arthur," Merlin desperately pleaded as he began to stand up, his legs shaking with weakness. The adrenaline and magic that had been keeping him upright was long gone. The side he fell on ached and he knew if he looked it would be covered with dark bruising. "The Druids, they healed me using magic. I swear it's still me. I haven't changed."

Arthur turned away from Merlin. To turn his back to a sorcerer meant that Arthur was beginning to believe that it was truly him. The room was silent for several moments as Arthur was stuck in his own thoughts. Merlin swayed slightly, his injuries beginning to catch up with him, but he refused to fall over. He breathed steadily in an attempt to negotiate with his own body an easier way to keep himself from passing out from pain.

Without turning back to face him, Arthur began speaking again. "Then tell me something only Merlin would know."

Merlin swallowed hard, thinking of anything that may prove without a shadow of a doubt that he was himself.

"The last speech you gave to the council you asked my opinion afterwards, like you always do."

Arthur remained silent as though prompting him to go further.

"I said that you were becoming a great king, the best that Camelot has seen."

Arthur remained turned away from him.

"And I was right. You are becoming the king Camelot deserves."

The silence that ensued was almost too much for Merlin to handle. His eyes remained locked on the back of of Arthur's head as he awaited his judgment. As Arthur turned back to face him, Merlin's stomach dropped. His face was a picture of poorly hidden grief.

"I guess it was foolish to even dare to hope that you weren't Merlin."

"Arthur, I-"

"Don't," Arthur cut off Merlin, effectively silencing him. "You are done feeding me more of your lies."

Merlin's eyes widened. He looked frantically into Arthur's venomous eyes. "I wouldn't-"

"You wouldn't _what_?" Arthur spat.

Merlin's response was to look shamefully at the ground. "I wouldn't lie to you- anymore."

Arthur glared at him.

"And that is supposed to reassure me? You- you betrayed me." Arthur said disbelievingly stepping away from him. "I trusted you."

Merlin looked back to Arthur. "You can still trust me, Arthur."

"Don't-" Arthur spat. "You dare to use my name when you never told me yours, _Emrys_ You even lied about that too."

"Please, listen to me." Merlin said holding his hands up looking between Arthur and the knights. "It's not what you think."

"It's exactly what I think, sorcerer!" Arthur yelled bitterly. He felt a sick pleasure as Merlin flinched at the word.

"No it's not." Merlin said pleadingly. "Yes I have magic-" Arthur growled at his words and turned away from Merlin. "-but I would never use it against you or the kingdom. I promise that I use it only for you."

He reached out to Arthur, needing to see his reaction for himself. As soon as Merlin's hand gripped Arthur's shoulder he felt a rush of fear. Arthur tensed immediately upon his touch. Merlin had no time to defend himself as Arthur's fist came out of nowhere and made brutal contact. Pain exploded across his face. He was once again dazed and on the floor. His lip split, bleeding freely upon the cool floor that his face now rested upon. The sharp metallic taste of blood pricked his tongue. All his strength he may have had left him as he laid unmoving where he landed. Still out of focus from the blow, Merlin barely realized as Arthur forcefully pulled him to his feet and slammed him against the wall, again reminding him of the injuries his body had sustained.

He couldn't believe what was happening. The pain he felt was enough to remind him the entire situation was not just some elaborate nightmare his brain had created. Merlin blinked several times to clear his blurred vision, but the sight before him made his blood freeze. The look on Arthur's face was one of pure undiluted emotion. In his state Merlin couldn't tell if Arthur's face held rage or grief. His eyebrows pinched together and his lips turned down into a snarl. For the first time in his entire life Merlin could see that Arthur was, in fact, Uther's son.

It terrified him.

"Stop lying to me." He said shaking Merlin hard enough to whip his head with ever syllable.

Merlin couldn't fight the tears spilling out of his eyes. They burned on their way down his bleeding face marking the spots where his betrayal had turned into consequences. Merlin couldn't care less about the pain. The look in Arthur's eyes told him everything that he needed to know. It was the same look he carried after the discovery of Morgana's and Agravaine's betrayal.

Merlin fought back a sob. "I'm not lying- not anymore."

Merlin could see Arthur preparing to strike him again when it stopped suddenly as a hand grabbed him.

"That's enough." Gwaine's stern voice said.

"It will be enough when I say it's enough." Arthur spat over his shoulder. "Now let go of me or are you an accomplice to this sorcerer?"

"This _sorcerer_ just so happens to be Merlin. He is our friend. A fact which all your narrow minds cannot seem to comprehend." Gwaine looked at each of the knights in the room trying to find at least one of them to back him up. He watched sadly as none met his eyes.

Pity, he had thought so much higher of each of the men in the room.

"You swore an oath for Camelot, Sir Gwaine. It would do you well to remember your place and your duty to-"

"Keep camelot safe." Gwaine interrupted much to the displeasure of Arthur. "I am quite aware of that, but I seem to also be the only one aware of the fact that the only reason any one of us is not being executed at this very moment is for the fact that Merlin stopped it from happening. No matter how much you hate to admit it, the fact is that we owe him our lives."

Arthur started to say something, but Gwaine cut him off before he could get a word in.

"You also have to realize that seeing as Merlin is a— sorcerer he could have easily let them off us by not entering the room. This whole complex is riddled with sorcerers calling for revenge, except Merlin. Why would an evil man save a king who had been senselessly persecuting his kind for years?"

"You forget who you are addressing, Gwaine." Arthur spat.

Gwaine stomped his foot down and shoved his finger in Merlin's direction.

"No, you forget all that Merlin has done for you!" Gwaine shouted. He noticed that Merlin's frame tensed up a bit at the increased volume. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

"We are in Merlin's territory now." Gwaine stared unblinkingly at a man he had respected for years. "Killing him out of your blind rage will only seal our fates. He is— at least, he _was_ willing to protect us back there. He's the only person keeping us alive and it's imperative that you follow what he says so as to not get assassinated while down here."

"Let me go." Arthur hissed dangerously at Gwaine.

"Not until you let him go." Gwaine stated while matching Arthur's tone.

Arthur glared at Gwaine and then proceeded to release Merlin who promptly fell to the floor. Gwaine released Arthur's arm. Arthur turned to face Gwaine. His rage rolled off him in waves, but Gwaine stood his ground against his fuming leader.

"Your insubordination will cost you."

"I wouldn't worry about that too much. As soon as we leave here I will not be returning to Camelot. I could never serve a king that could be such a cruel tyrant."

At that Arthur took a step towards Gwaine balling his fists. It spoke volumes that the intentions he had for Gwaine were quite similar to those that created the bruises marring Merlin's face. Before any more violence could occur, Percival stepped in between the two. The gesture was no act of defiance but one with full intentions of protecting his king. Gwaine bitterly glared at Arthur beyond Percival's bulk. He sent one last seething look to his king before turning on his heel. He lowered himself gently to his knees feeling the aching from the fall that had caused the entirety of this situation. Merlin who was still slumped on the floor didn't even bother to look up.

"Are you alright?" Gwaine asked gently.

"You shouldn't have done that." Merlin ignored his question. His voice had been barely above a whisper. Gwaine snuffed out the heated anger he felt towards Arthur. Merlin didn't need any more violence occurring because of him. What he needed was a friend.

Gwaine grabbed his arm gently to get his attention. "You didn't answer me."

Merlin sighed slowly, shoulders slumping with the exhale. As his chest retracted his frame appear smaller and more vulnerable than ever. Just looking at the state of his friend nearly was enough to convince Gwaine that he wasn't some powerful sorcerer that had been living under their noses for years.

 _Nearly_.

"I'm fine" Merlin settled for the simplest lie he could muster, which Gwaine didn't blame him for. Gwaine raised his eyebrow in disbelief. Merlin was anything but fine. The hurt and pain was locked away and the key lost. Merlin waited, biding his time so he could lose himself in the river of emotions flooding his brain at the proper time.

What else could you do when your entire life falls apart in less than a quarter hour?

He wouldn't lie to himself, the fact the Merlin had locked the secret away from Gwaine stung him. Merlin was his friend and he wished Merlin trusted him enough with the secret of his magic. One more fleeting look at Merlin's broken persona was enough to stop those feelings in their tracks.

"You really are a terrible liar. It's a wonder how you went this long without anyone discovering you."

Merlin didn't say anything and chose to look at the ground and bow his head in shame. Gwaine felt instant regret at causing this obvious guilt to cascade over Merlin.

"I would have told you- told all of you, but-"

Gwaine put a hand up, stopping him from continuing. "You don't need to explain a thing to me. You have always held everyone's best interests in front of your own."

Sending Arthur another glare, Gwaine continued. "I also fully understand why you never told anyone about your—situation."

Merlin gave a sad half smile and then suddenly looked at the door. His eyes widened. "Someone's coming."

"How do you know—" Gwaine cut himself off immediately. "Right, magic."

Merlin glanced quickly to Arthur for his reaction at Gwaine's outright use of the word, but the king said nothing. He seemed entirely focused on the possible threat approaching beyond the door. Gwaine put a hand upon Merlin's shoulder to get back his attention

"Can you do anything about—" he gestured to his bruising face "—you know."

Merlin glanced at Arthur who was still glaring daggers at him and nodded. He began to whisper words that meant nothing to Gwaine, but flowed beautifully together in an odd way. Merlin was carefully touching his injured face as he continued to speak. When he finished his eyes glowed a bright gold. Gwaine had to resist the desire to pull away from Merlin. Magic was always something to fear in Camelot, but right now Merlin needed his support. It wasn't about keeping himself and the others alive either, although that was definitely important. It was about standing by his friend after one of the worst scenarios Gwaine could think of for Arthur to discover his magic. Merlin needed to know that he was not the monster everyone in Camelot thought he was.

After his eyes stopped glowing, Gwaine watched as Merlin's skin seemed to revert back to normal.

"Better?" Merlin asked looking only at Gwaine. Gwaine didn't blame him. He hardly wanted to know how Arthur reacted to Merlin's little magic trick either.

"Better," He answered. "It's a wonder why you never told me about this. It would have made rides back to Camelot a lot easier after fights."

"I didn't heal myself though. I only made it look like my normal face."

"Why didn't you heal yourself?"

"I'm lousy at it. I would have needed more time than I had to fully complete it." Merlin responded with a small smile. "He's here."

There was a knock on the door not one second after Merlin had spoken. Gwaine stared at Merlin amazed that he never knew that Merlin was more than what met the eye. Merlin got up stiffly and slowly took a pained walk to the door. Gwaine was surprised he was even still standing with the way he looked. He risked a glance at the rest of the men in the room while Merlin made his walk. The Knights looked sad and confused, but Arthur seemed to be swimming in anger. Even though Merlin saved their lives, Arthur was still entirely ignorant of Merlin's sacrifice of his secret for the king. Merlin must have known his secret would not be safe, but he did it anyways.

When Merlin reached the door he straightened his tired frame and put a happy façade upon his features.

He opened the door and Gwaine heard a young man's lilting voice.

"Sorry to bother you m'lord but I am here to inform you dinner will be ready very soon. Catherine would be most pleased if you would join her."

"Oh, um. " Merlin said not used to having this much say in matters such as this. "Sire," Merlin said warily, turning his attention to Arthur and praying for an answer. He turned his gaze to the floor in a subservient manner and asked, "What do you wish?"

The last thing that Arthur wanted was to dine with these Druids or Merlin, but at the mere thought of food Arthur felt the pains of not eating properly. He knew the Knights and himself needed food.

Not that he was going to tell the sorcerer that.

"Whatever you think, _Emrys_." Arthur said with a bitter edge in his voice.

Merlin's face fell. Arthur felt a moment of satisfaction as he knew he just dealt a small blow. That satisfaction lasted but a moment and was replaced yet again by anger.

"I-" Merlin cleared his throat to hide his emotion, "I think that a meal would do us all good."

"Then follow me, if you are ready." The young boy said happily with a bright smile on his face. He innocently missed all of the tension that hung thickly in the air.

They followed the young boy as he led them down long hallways in the underground labyrinth. While he was walking he was spouting all sorts of information on the complex. Merlin barely picked up on any of what the young boy said. He was leaning heavily upon Gwaine who had gladly slung his arm over his shoulder without him even asking. Arthur followed a fair distance behind them and seemed to be whispering heatedly to Percival, Elyan, and Leon. Tears pricked his eyes. Merlin opted for a quick breath as opposed to a sob. What was the point of destiny if Arthur will just hate him for what he is?

His thoughts were disrupted as Gwaine said to the boy, "I've been wondering for some time what those stacked logs were in the tunnels."

"The tunnel you landed in was usually used to bring water into the complex. Normally it would have been filled by a river, but a rock slide stopped the water from flowing. We use the stacked logs to help control the flow of water coming in. We currently have men up there working to reinforce the ceiling you all fell through and to unblock the cave so we can have the fresh water again."

"That's brilliant." Gwaine said pulling Merlin's slipping arm, securing his grip. Merlin had to agree with that statement. How Arthur could not see the great uses that magic had floored him.

But the problem was Arthur had no true knowledge of magic and its users. In Arthur's eyes, Merlin was just another sorcerer with his own agenda, like the rest of the Druids in the complex. All of them were simply biding their time waiting for the perfect moment to bring Camelot to its knees. Because as soon as a sorcerer utters their first spell the destruction of Camelot becomes the only thing worth living for.

If only he had told him magic's true nature before it came to this.

Upon arrival to the hall, Merlin pulled from Gwaine's grip so as to stand on his own. His eyes went immediately to the grand table that held a plethora of official looking guests, men and women alike. Each were dressed distinctly from the rest. Just from being in their presence, Merlin knew each of them were exceptional magic users. An aura of power seemed to encircle each of them. It was as though their magic was speaking to him. He felt an excited giddiness bubbling in his stomach, like a warm buzz after a mug of Gwaine's favorite cider. He had never been around this many powerful magic users at one point.

It was exhilarating.

As his eyes scanned down the table Merlin noticed that the six closest chairs to Catherine remained empty for each of them. Merlin glanced momentarily to Arthur to gauge his opinion when he realized the king was nearly gaping openly at the ceiling. Merlin risked a quick fleeting glance which immediately turned into am awed stare to better take in the wonderful sight. Swirling flames floated aimlessly above them creating a warm glow for the rest of the room. They ceaselessly moved with no set pattern creating a show of magic Merlin could watch for hours.

His attention was switched as Catherine stood and the others at the table quickly followed suit. Extending her arms warmly to them, Catherine said, "Welcome King Arthur of Camelot, his noble Knights, and of course Emrys. It is my greatest honor to welcome you to our humble home." She bowed her head respectfully which those at the table mimicked without hesitation.

"I wish to express my deepest and sincerest apologies to the King and his Knights. I, myself, judged them rashly and in doing so wrongfully arrested them. The decision to take matters into my own hands, weaving a narrative to fit my own ideas rather than seeking the truth was irresponsibly. If not for the intervention of Emrys, I fear I would have destroyed any hope that the peace we Druids pray endlessly for would in fact come to place. I take full responsibility and hope that my actions have not created irreparable damage to a future relationship with our King and Camelot."

Catherine nodded in Arthur's direction. Arthur face was one of poorly hidden shock. He quickly made to smother the emotion before it hijacked his facial features once more. The last thing he had expected was a sincere apology or the fact that Catherine had referred to him as their king. He shifted uneasily on his feet, a subtle habit he had picked up to cope with situations such as these.

"We all know about the great prophecy concerning the Once And Future King. It foretold of him uniting all of Albion in a land of peace for all inhabiting the area, but we never knew who he was. In light of recent events, we have come to understand that King Arthur is in fact the man who will one day bring that unity. Due to this fact, I would ask that all those holding ill feelings towards Camelot come and talk to me after dinner. We must all trust the judgement that Emrys has made upon King Arthur and his knights. Emrys stated he would stand behind King Arthur's decisions, whatever they may be. Because of this we will no longer look upon King Arthur as a man to be feared, but as our ally and most importantly our leader."

Although Arthur was hiding it well, he was struggling with the fact that these Druids were so quick to change their judgement of him simply because Merlin had said he was this future king fellow. He was confused as to what that title meant for him, but he wasn't about to ask about it now. Percival, Leon, and Elyan all looked uncomfortable and guilt ridden after hearing Catherine reiterate the fact that Merlin had vouched for them. Each had forgotten the high praise that Merlin had given after his sorcery had been revealed.

"I would like you to relate this to your groupings." Catherine paused. Merlin realized she was choosing her next words wisely. "Please notify your members they are entitled to their own thoughts and conversations concerning this, but-" she held up her pointer finger in emphasis, "-encourage them to speak to me if any of them have any concerns."

Catherine then motioned for Arthur to sit to her right and for Merlin to sit at her left at the table. The Knights sat in the empty seats next to Arthur while Merlin sat next to a man about his age that seemed incapable of doing anything but staring at him. Merlin glanced awkwardly at the man who quickly looked away. In total there was about the same number of occupants that there were at dinner parties in Camelot. Eventually people came through and began to deliver food. While the members of the table made simple conversation in between eating, Arthur and the Knights looked rather uncomfortable and out of place. Gwaine, located at the end of the knights, was the only one of them that seemed to be enjoying himself. He was recalling thrilling tales to two women enraptured with the charismatic knight. Merlin almost smiled upon seeing the ease at which Gwaine handle any situation thrown at him.

"You seem to be doing quite well." Catherine noted, drawing Merlin out of his personal thoughts.

"Yes," Merlin replied, trying to ignore Arthur's steely eyes that were boring through him. "All thanks to your healers. They are quite talented at what they do. I would be lying if I said I wasn't envious of their abilities."

"You and me both. Our healers have been chosen due to their special magical talents concerning medicine. In fact, that is where our young decide where they work, wherever they succeed in their abilities, magical or not."

Merlin was felt a longing ache. This small corner of the world created from the horrors of the great purge was a fully functioning magical community. Merlin loved growing up in Ealdor, but he never truly fit in. He could never truly be who he was. Life was constantly hiding his magic and never being able to embrace it.

"What I would have given to have that sort of support growing up."

Catherine placed a gentle hand on Merlin's. "We would have loved to given you the teaching you needed to thrive, but it seems that your destiny brought you in a different direction.

Merlins smiled at her and snuck a glance to Arthur who was listening to their conversation but not participating. Catherine's eyes followed Merlin's and she turned to Arthur.

"I want to apologize personally to you, King Arthur, for the circumstances under which we met. I wish that it had not taken you falling through the ground for us to meet."

"Likewise." Arthur said simply. He was not exactly looking to elaborate on anything while in the presence of these people. He noticed a slight downward curve of her lips. He knew it was in his and the knight's best interests to be cordial; however, after Merlin's betrayal was unveiled Arthur couldn't care less about politeness. Catherine continued even in spite of the king's rude behavior.

"We had hoped that by spreading legends about the valley would have been enough to sway people from visiting, but our attempts seem to have only brought more ruffians to the area."

Merlin gave a small laugh. "Those rumors have definitely spread through Camelot." Merlin recalled the mythology heard from various travelers passing through. It was common knowledge that the valley was filled with danger. Little did he know legends were created by these people.

Catherine turned to Arthur again.

"Congratulations on your recent marriage. The beginning is always an exciting time. I'm sure that Queen Guinevere is awaiting for your safe return."

"Yes I'm sure she is." Arthur said after a while. Seeing that Catherine was still staring intently at him to continue he said, "How is it that you know so much about recent events in Camelot living down here?"

"We have our sources. Some of our people go out to hunt or trade for medicine and other items we need. We simply overhear events that transpire. Everyone has a job here and is of equal importance. Those present at the table are those who head the groups in which our people work. We hold meals together to talk about anything that may need to be addressed to the people during these meals; however, today is different considering your presence."

Arthur couldn't find the right words to respond to that. His father had always told him that for the people to respect him they must first and foremost fear him. This was an entirely different society. One that responded directly to the individual needs of everyone.

"You wear a ring." Merlin said observantly.

"It's my wedding band." Catherine confirmed his suspicions. She twisted the band around on her finger and her eyes were looking sadly at it. Merlin felt a warmth spread to his face. Her husband was obviously not present at the table and hadn't been earlier.

"I'm sorry. I didn't meant to pry." Merlin responded.

"Don't be sorry, you were simply curious. It was many years ago. We were married about a year's time. I was pregnant soon after we were wed as we both wanted to start a family immediately."

She smiled. Merlin realized that she was reliving those precious moments spent with her love. It was the same as when he thought of Freya.

"At the time the great purge was at its peak and we were- reckless with out magic. We were young and seemingly untouchable. We never thought we would be caught." Catherine looked up. A slight wet sheen covered her eyes. She slowly swallowed. Folding her hands on the table she stopped toying with the golden band. "My husband was taken when it was discovered he was a druid. The stress from the whole situation caused me to lose the child. After that I found a Druid camp that was in hiding. We decided to move to a safer location, one hidden from those trying to harm us. This complex was formed started soon after."

Catherine suddenly turned to Arthur who sat there awkwardly and said, "I don't blame you or any of Camelot for what has happened to me in my life. I was filled with anger in the past, years ago. I understand now the great purge stemmed from fear and misunderstanding."

Her words had been rushed as though afraid Arthur would storm out if before she had the chance to explain. She took a calming breath and continued. "We must all choose to forgive each other for past actions if we ever wish to move on and grow."

Merlin broke out into a smile. He may have been worried about Catherine when they first met, but she was proving to be an incredibly wise woman. Arthur looked at a loss for words and simply nodded to acknowledge Catherine's sentiment.

"My turn to pry," Catherine said turning to Merlin. "There must be a special someone for the prophesied Emrys to keep him company."

"No," Merlin replied. His tone was less open. It was a subtle change, but a change nonetheless. If Arthur hadn't been scrutinizing him for anything that would confirm his betrayal further he would have easily missed it. "I have plenty of friends back at Camelot to keep me company."

"Have there been any that have caught your eye?"

"Not recently, no."

Arthur was taken aback by the sad and slightly uncomfortable manner Merlin held himself in. 'Not recently.' What was that supposed to mean? Had Merlin been keeping more secrets than just his magic? Of course, Merlin had never truly been able to confide in Arthur. If there had been any sort of friendship developed between the king and his manservant over the years it was completely unbalanced. Merlin simply stood by while Arthur could use his counsel whenever he needed or reject it as he saw fit. Looking back on it now Arthur felt no remorse for the treatment he gave Merlin. He was his bloody manservant after all while Arthur was the king of Camelot. He was under no obligation whatsoever to make his manservant feel as though they were friends. Arthur had been more than lenient with Merlin's insolent behavior in the past. Now Arthur saw Merlin's disrespectful attitude towards him as a way for Merlin to act out against Camelot in the open while being a sorcerer in secret.

"Who was she?" Arthur asked talking to Merlin for the first time that dinner.

Merlin looked at him momentarily surprised. He hadn't expected him to acknowledge him let alone speak to him. He considered what he should say. "Just a memory now."

The rest of dinner went by relatively smoothly. The man next to Merlin eventually broke out of his shocked stupor and began to bombard him with an array of questions concerning magic. Arthur attempted to eavesdrop on the traitorous discussion but eventually gave up due to the complexity of the subject they were discussing. Catherine continued to make light conversation with Arthur about the complex and apologized several more times for her actions and the actions of several individuals that were not present at dinner due to their ill feelings towards him.

Arthur didn't know what to think. He always thought that magic users were instantly evil, but these people at dinner seemed like anyone from Camelot. As much as Arthur wished it to be true he could find no ill intent in Catherine. Her husband had been murdered by his father and yet she welcomed him with open arms to sit next to her at her table. The son of Uther was welcomed as a guest to those that had lost so much because of the actions his father took. As they were finishing up dinner Merlin turned to Catherine and quietly asked if he could have several more sets of blankets brought to his room.

"Of course," Catherine answered immediately. "May I inquire why?"

"No disrespect intended, but I would sleep more soundly if the King and his Knights stayed with me to avoid...unfortunate incidents."

"I understand completely. I only wish that one day all will come to terms with everyone's past actions."

Arthur overheard this quiet conversation and didn't know how he should feel about it. Merlin was a sorcerer and therefore evil. Why was he still trying to hold his elaborate lies together into one cohesive story? Why was he still protecting them?

 **I promised myself that I wouldn't make too many author's notes because I really wanted the story to speak for itself, but I had to make this. I want to give a HUGE Thanks to all of you for your support. I really appreciate the reviews, follows, favorites, and even those of you just reading the story. It brings me so much happiness that you are enjoying this! Please continue to give me your support as this story progresses.**

 **THANKS AGAIN!**


	7. Chapter 7

"Well I had an excellent time." Gwaine said to Merlin as they were all being lead to Merlin's room. It was obvious to Merlin that Gwaine was intoxicated as he completely disregarded the obvious tension in the air. Gwaine had a tendency to escape bad situations by drinking them away. He was as oblivious as ever to the tension in the air which didn't help Merlin at all. "Those women sure now how to make a man feel welcome."

Merlin gave a half smile in response. He had barely eaten anything at dinner as the food caused him to feel queasy. His back throbbed and he longed to lay down and sleep for a week.

The small amount of food he was able to stomach did wonders to increase his strength. He was able to walk back to the room without needing assistance from the one knight that would give it to him but also the one knight too intoxicated to do much good. The pain rose again and he fought to keep his face static. Taking small breaths, Merlin waited for it to retreat to a dull throb. The walking and Arthur's less than gentle reaction had done a number on his still healing body.

When they arrived to the room there were two people waiting outside the door for them. Merlin felt wary at first until he noticed that Mary was one of them. She smiled and waved to him almost dropping the large bundle of blankets in her arms. The other woman accompanying Mary stepped forward. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun and her narrow eyes roved up and down his entire body analytically. Merlin immediately felt intimidated as she stepped forward.

"My lord, I was among those that healed you after you attained your injuries. I have come to finish your healing session. My name is Sarah."

"Thanks, but I think I feel much better." Merlin responded trying to act perfectly healed. He had noticed that Arthur had stiffened at the mention of magic being perform. His hand had automatically moved to where his sword was typically seated at his side only to find it empty. Sarah's eyes squinted and she gave him a glare that could rival Hunith's when he was in trouble as a child.

"I for one know that is a lie. Your movements are stiff, like you are trying to not agitate something further."

Merlin let out a breath he hadn't noticed he was holding. "You are quite observant."

"Anyone with half their sight would be able to see that you are experiencing pain." She stated bluntly. "Pain, that wouldn't be present if you would have stayed in bed like you were supposed to."

Merlin grinned sheepishly at the woman. "Mary shouldn't be blamed for that. She was simply doing what I told her."

"Don't you worry. We know that this is because you refused to listen to us."

Merlin couldn't help but be reminded of Gaius when talking with this woman. She was fiercely devoted to her patients and cared for their wellbeing, but she wasn't afraid to reprimand those under her care for not following orders. Merlin was reminded of Gaius berating Arthur after he had carelessly cut his leg whilst trying to show off. Gwen had been at the training field at the time to watch Arthur which meant his common sense had left Camelot altogether. As Gaius was placing herbs on the wound, Arthur had looked to him exasperatedly as though he would be able to talk Gaius down. Knowing Gaius, Merlin had only responded by putting his hands up in defeat. Merlin's chest ached at the fond memory.

"Merlin, I think that the best idea would be to do anything that she wants." Gwaine said with a smirk. Merlin sent him a glare and granted them access to the room with a sigh and gesture of his hand. Mary went about laying the blankets upon the bed and bowed as she left. Sarah grabbed an ornately carved chair and moved it directly in front of her. She shoved a pointed finger at it and stared at Merlin who took it as his due to sit on. Merlin cautiously obeyed. The knights and Arthur had moved to the corner in front of Merlin and watched silently.

"You all had quite a fall, yet no one else in your party was injured, Emrys." Sarah observed in a way that lead Merlin to believe she was fishing for more information than just that.

"Yeah," Merlin said rubbing the back of his neck. His hand was quickly swatted out of the way by Sarah.

"Why is that?"

Merlin sent a quick glance at Arthur who seemed like he didn't want them to hear the answer. Sarah waited expectantly for Merlin to continue. He sighed letting his should drop in the hope of reliving the tension.

It didn't help.

"When we were falling I cast a quick spell to slow our descent." Merlin kept his eyes fixated on his fidgeting hands playing at the hem of his shirt. Arthur's face as he spoke about magic. "I never accounted for the fact that I was less protected than they were in their armor."

Merlin looked anywhere but Sarah. He sheepishly began playing with the fabric on his borrowed white shirt.

"You were lucky you didn't crack your head open." Sarah came round to his line of vision. Her face held the look of one who was talking to a petulant child. "I had a patient that did just that once-"

Sarah continued talking while poking and prodding Merlin, but he paid little attention. Merlin wondered what Arthur was thinking.'Probably planning the best way to execute you when we get back.' A nasty voice in Merlin's head said, but the thought was interrupted when he realized that Mary staring expectantly at him.

"Excuse me?" Merlin asked in regards to whatever had been said.

"Did you hit your head as well?" Sarah asked brusquely. "I asked you to remove your shirt so I can finish your healing."

Merlin gave a nod and proceeded to slowly remove his shirt. As the layer hiding Merlin's damaged body was remove, Arthur noticed a series of bruises on the side that hit the ground. He felt a stab of guilt at what he allowed his blind rage to do, but he quickly squashed it down. Merlin was a sorcerer, twisted by the use of magic. He deserved even more of a punishment than that. It was then that another mark on his torso caught his attention. A large circular burn was at the center of Merlin's chest. There were years of healing on the scar. There was a chance that it had happened before he moved to Camelot at Elador.

Whenever it had happened it was yet another thing Merlin had lied about.

Arthur noticed Mary eye the bruising suspiciously. He held his breath. For whatever reason, Merlin had refrained to discuss Arthur's actions with Catherine at dinner. Not that Arthur cared what these sorcerers thought, but he feared they would be unable to leave this place if it were discovered he harmed Merlin. His careless actions may be discovered by her which would endanger his own life as well as the lives of his knights. To his relief her gaze switched to focus on where Arthur assumed Merlin's back had broken. He let out a sigh of relief that was quickly sucked in as she began to speak. A series of strange flowing words came from her mouth just prior to her eyes morphing into the golden color Arthur had come to associate with magic. Merlin's frame tensed in response and a poorly hidden grimace was on his face. His entire frame suddenly relaxed and he released he breath from between his clenched teeth.

"Thank you." He said to Mary who simply nodded. She handed him his shirt which he put back on, but not before Arthur noticed the bruising on his side- or lack of bruising as it was completely gone. Arthur was struck with as sudden thought of how far he would have taken his punishment had Gwaine not stopped him. How many more bruises would have been littered upon Merlin's damaged body until Arthur's anger had been sated. His father would have simply executed him immediately after the fact, something Arthur had been trained to do since he first entered the knighthood. This was Merlin though. As much as Arthur hated admit it to himself, Merlin had been his friend- even if he hadn't been Merlin's. Looking back on it now Arthur realized the entire friendship was a lie. A well-devised plot to gain favor with the king. Arthur knew he should feel angry that he was healed by magic.

The only thing he felt was relief.

Sarah began to leave, but turned around and asked, "King Arthur, may I have a word?"

Taken aback Arthur reluctantly followed the intimidating woman toward the door. The knights made to follow him protectively until Arthur held up a hand signaling them to stop. Sarah turned round to face him and looked at him with no judgement or hatred in her eyes.

"I know that you are angry with Emrys." Arthur was about to respond, but she continued to talk over his voice. "I don't know the reason and I am not going to pry, but I want you to remember how you are feeling right now knowing that he is not feeling the pain you caused." She gripped his shoulder gently.

"Remember that the next time you feel the need to act out in anger towards him."

With that she left leaving an extremely shocked Arthur standing staring after her. He was taken aback by her boldness. She had never even met Arthur and she had understood that much about him. Deep down he knew she was right about him feeling guilt, but he pushed that thought aside. The Merlin he knew was dead.

He just had to keep telling himself that.

Arthur turned back around to find Merlin passing blankets around to each knight as if he were back in Camelot as a servant. He kept the last blanket and Arthur glanced over to the large bed that was obviously made for Merlin. He strutted up to Merlin.

"I need a blanket also." Arthur said coldly.

"Well then it's a good thing you have a plethora of them over there, sire." Merlin pointed to the bed. "But if you wish to have another." Merlin handed him the blanket which Arthur took. Merlin started to turn away which enraged Arthur.

"Why are you still holding onto this act?" Arthur asked with a bite in his tone. Merlin turned back around to face him.

"What?" Merlin asked genuinely confused.

"Why are you continuing to act as my servant?"

"It has never been an act. I may not have told you about my magic, but that does not mean that I have been acting as your servant this entire time." Merlin said in a final tone. "Even though I have lost your trust, I am still loyal to you." Arthur noticed that his voice had broken on the word trust. "That will never change."

Arthur had no response, he simply watched as Merlin chose a spot on the floor close to the door to claim as his bed for the night. Gwaine also went to make a bed close to Merlin. Arthur watched silently as the rest of the Knights went to various spots on the floor strategically surrounding the bed in order to protect him in the event of an intruder Arthur simply stood there dumbly. He heard Gwaine mutter something about the gas lamps still being on and then saw a small flash of golden light from Merlin's direction. Immediately after the room began to dim. Arthur was bathed completely in darkness left with his own thoughts.

* * *

When Arthur awoke he had no idea how long he had laid in bed thinking about all the events that had transpired The fact that they were underground meant that it was problematic in knowing the approximate time of the day so Arthur lay in silence. The room was rather dark, except for the small amount of light seeping through the bottom of the door from the hallway. He could just make out the sleeping forms of three of his Knights surrounding his bed. He could also see where Gwaine and Merlin lay. He noticed the deep breaths that Gwaine took as his chest expanded and compressed while Merlin's were shorter and more sporadic. His irregular breathing was the only indication that he was awake.

Arthur was just about to get up and wake the rest of the Knights when Merlin rose suddenly. Arthur kept still and watched as Merlin made his way over to the door and opened it. A young girl's greeting to Merlin met Arthur's ears. They exchanged a few words that he couldn't quite make out. He was able to hear the word "breakfast." Merlin then shut the door and leaned back against it with a sigh. His breathing was too controlled. It was a common practice Arthur saw among new knights in their first battle. It was a way for them to keep their emotions from overtaking them. Merlin's frame slid down the doorway until he was sitting on the ground.

"Alright there Merlin?" Gwaine said his voice barely audible in the heavy silence.

"Why was I even given this destiny if I was just going to be hated for it?" Merlin seemed to ask not only to Gwaine, but to the heavens.

"You're talking about the prophecy you mentioned yesterday?"

Merlin simply nodded. Arthur watched as Gwaine sat up and scooted next to Merlin. He leaned up against the door and put an arm around Merlin in a brotherly way. Nothing was said between the two as the moments passed on Both sat with only their thoughts keeping them company. Eventually Gwaine patted Merlin's back and started putting his shoes on. It was then that Arthur realized Merlin was wiping furiously at his eyes. Arthur knew Gwaine was giving Merlin time to regain his composure.

Arthur felt confused. Destiny? Merlin had no idea what it felt like to not be able to choose what he wanted to do with his life. Merlin was free and he chose to betray Arthur. He had no right to be upset.

Merlin knew nothing of destiny.

"We should probably wake the others. Breakfast will be brought in soon." Merlin said standing up. Gwaine nodded and Arthur saw a small golden flash from Merlin's eyes. The dark room began to light up and was eventually bathed in a dim light that was comfortable for the eyes to adjust to. Arthur saw the other knights begin to stir and decided to get up along with them. Arthur feigned a yawn as he saw Gwaine staring at him and quickly gathered his face into a bitter look. He leaned over the bed to put his shoes on. As he was just finishing the laces he saw two worn, leather shoes appear in his peripheral vision.

"What is it now, Merlin?" Arthur said with a bite in his tone.

"Mary and several others will be bringing breakfast to us in a short while." Merlin said keeping his eyes down in a subservient manner and confirming Arthur's suspicions. His eyes, which were difficult to make out in the dim lighting, were rimmed with a red puffiness, confirming that Merlin had been crying.

'A trick to seek your pity and regain your favor,' Arthur thought, but when he looked at Merlin he saw only a sincere expression. Merlin was an even better actor than he thought. Arthur angrily shoved past Merlin who stumbled slightly but was able to keep his balance.

"Fine," was the only reply he gave Merlin as he walked towards Leon, Percival, and Elyan.

Merlin felt sadness seep through his entire frame as he watched Arthur proceed towards his knights. His secret had destroyed any foundation of trust that had been built over the years. All the Druids here saw Emrys as a gift sent to save them in their most desperate time, but his magic was a curse. Not only had he lost Arthur's trust, but he was bound to destroy the faith the Druids and all those with magic had in him.

Three raps on the door pulled Merlin back to reality. Merlin noticed the knights had each tensed up in reaction to the possible threat that lay beyond the door. This further plunged Merlin into his own regret and the hope of ever rising out of the Great Purge peacefully became just a dream.

Merlin sighed and opened the door to accept what he thought would be only one or two individuals. Those individuals actually turned out to be at least fifteen perky Druids each peering excitedly at Merlin. Merlin surprise kept him firmly in place. It wasn't until his eyes roamed to look at what they were carrying that Merlin began feeling entirely overwhelmed. Half of them were carrying trays of food. Meats, cheeses, and breads weighed heavily upon the shoulders of individuals each dressed with exuberant and excited smiles. There were also several people carrying baskets of clothing and other miscellaneous items. Towards the end were several individuals dressed in white threads standing behind the ever formidable Sarah. Mary stood at the front of the group and looked expectantly at Merlin.

"I- I thought that there would only be a few of you." Merlin stuttered while trying to regain his composure. Gwaine came up and clapped a hand upon Merlin's back and laughed.

"Well this is elaborate." He said while grinning. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying Merlin's reaction.

Merlin gave him a glare and turned to people saying, "We could have come down to the dining hall. There's not that much room in here. You didn't have to go it of your way-"

"It's our pleasure Emrys." A young boy piped up.

"What William is trying to say is that we are all honored to serve you and our King." Mary said after fixing a glare at the boy who interrupted. "And we can fix the space issue very easily."

"No-" Merlin began, but she had already started. The words of magic flowed smoothly from her lips. Before Merlin could stop it the mattress from the bed had tucked itself underneath the bed revealing the wooden surface of the frame. Mary nodded to those carrying the food and they each muttered a spell which sent their trays flying upon the surface.

Merlin looked at Arthur in a panic. Arthur looked taken aback and startled. Merlin had thought Arthur would have bolted to grab the closest item that could be weaponized and go after every person who uttered a word magic or not. All around him people acted like it was so natural. It was a part of their daily rituals. They knew nothing of a world without magic. They needn't worry about hiding who they were when they were already hidden.

Everyone then poured into the room and began assisting with doling out food. An overwhelming number of them immediately went to Merlin. The healers went about pulling him away to a chair for a check up while those with the clothing went about comparing various shades of fabric and deciding which they liked best for him. Arthur, Percival, Leon, and Elyan were also being attended to. Several bubbly young ladies that giggled after every sentence were serving them. One of them was eyeing Percival's muscular arms with wide eyed interest as he went about strapping his sword back at his waist. These women had returned their weapons and chain mail that had been confiscated when they were arrested.

Merlin looked to Gwaine, his eyes pleading for help as he was poked and checked on by the healers, but Gwaine was preoccupied and thoroughly enjoying the copious amounts of food and attention. As Gwaine was too invested in his surroundings, Merlin had to deal with the overzealous Druids by himself.

"I am completely healed so there is no need to continue. Sarah did a wonderful job last night and I appreciate everything you have done for me." Merlin said standing up slowly like he was trying not to startle a sleeping bear. He began backing away and edging towards where Gwaine was located. "Now if you don't mind l will just be going-"

As Merlin turned around he was met by another flock of Druids holding baskets of clothing. They all bowed low and one of them stepped forward.

"My lord," he began with another low bow. "My name is Anthony. We are pleased to say that we have chosen a shade of cloth that will do justice to both your skin tone and eyes."

Merlin simply stared at Anthony. He was dumbfounded that anyone would put this much thought in an outfit. Then again, he had dressed the king of Camelot for several years now. He looked into the expectant and eager eyes of Anthony.

"Thank you all vey much, but I don't need you to go out of your way for me."

"It is our honor." Anthony replied. "You deserve the best that we have to offer."

"You really don't have-" Merlin began, but he was ushered away to the far corner of the room before he managed to escape. They magically installed a privacy curtain which he was pushed behind.

Arthur had watched as Merlin was bombarded by the copious amounts of people. Being a king, Arthur knew the intense overwhelming feeling of everyone trying to help you at once. He had lived it his entire life. He almost laughed at Merlin's stressed look, but stopped himself. He continued to watch as Merlin struggled to get out of the reach of the healers. Once he did he was accosted by a new group. He smirked as Merlin was practically dragged away to the corner. He tried to clear his face of emotion and turn his attention back to the young lady explaining the food choices they had but paid little attention. He looked back to the corner just as Merlin stumbled out of the changing area. Leave it to him to nearly fall flat on his face after tripping over the low hanging fabric. He was wearing the same pants (much to the displeasure of those dressing him) and a rich emerald shirt.

"Thank you. This really is good enough for me." Merlin said attempting to appease them.

"Well, if you want anything else you can always send for us." Anthony said eyeing up his worn pants. "Are you sure that you-"

"I'm sure." Merlin said convincingly enough for them to bow and leave.

As they made their exit Merlin finally made his way over to where the food was. He looked ecstatic to have gotten away, but sobered as soon as he looked at Arthur. Arthur noticed that the shirt he was wearing was simply made, very much like what he typically wore in Camelot. The only thing missing was the neckerchief. Even with all those elaborate fabrics that the Druids had brought, Merlin still opted for a basic shirt and the same worn old pants. The Knights had begun to help themselves to food. Arthur turned away from Merlin and grabbed a bit of everything.

Those that had been serving them eventually left them, bowing on their way out.

"I will return soon." Mary said with a curtsy. "Catherine has requested that you meet her so she can give you a formal tour of the complex."

Merlin acknowledged her with a nod and watched as she shut the door. He stood there, motionless, until Gwaine came and stood at his side.

"Nice shirt. It complements your eyes beautifully." He said with a smirk. Merlin's face went red immediately. His mouth opened and closed several times and he seemed to be having trouble forming words.

"Shut it, Gwaine." Merlin said finally, with a small smile, easing over to grab breakfast. "They barely allowed me to leave with just this. I don't think that I can ever see the appeal in having people dote on you constantly."

Merlin went to grab a biscuit, but was cut off when Leon intercepted his path.

"Merlin, the king needs to return to Camelot. He can't be kept here."

"No one is keeping him here, Sir Leon." Merlin said in a firm but respectful tone. "He has not expressed the desire to leave. I simply assumed that he was willing to remain here for a while."

"He has a valid point." Gwaine said. Leon looked at Gwaine and took a deep breath as though he was trying to keep the situation calm and continued.

"Nevertheless, King Arthur-"

"Can speak for himself." Arthur interrupted. He turned to Leon and nodded his head in a respectful way.

"Thank you Leon for showing your loyalty and support for me." He nodded at his knight. "These people seem to be kept in their place by Catherine. She has demonstrated that she can act in a civil matter towards us so I am not concerned with being able to leave. I will inform her that we will be leaving immediately when we next see her. I do not need hisassistance in doing so." Arthur said with a quick hand motion towards Merlin.

They spent the remainder of their time in the room in silence. The Knights were busy putting their chain mail and red emblazoned capes back on and ensuring their swords were as sharp as ever. Gwaine on the other hand only put the chain mail on. Taking his cape, he folded it nicely and laid it at the foot of the bed Arthur had slept in. Merlin felt a pang of guilt knowing that he was the reason that Gwaine was no longer a knight. Upon seeing the guilt ridden look on his face, Gwaine placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"It was my decision." He said, reading Merlin's mind perfectly.

Three raps upon the door was their cue to to be on their way. They followed Mary silently as she led them to meet wth Catherine. There was an obvious division between them as they trekked along through the tunnels. Arthur and the knights in the back while Merlin and Gwaine were directly behind Mary. Merlin felt at a loss. It wasn't just because his friendship with Arthur had ended, nor was it that he had no life in Camelot anymore. It was a deep sense of knowing that permeated through his raging emotions of guilt and grief, tying them tightly together.

Merlin felt the loss of Albion.

Wow! You guys are seriously FANTASTIC! Every review, follow, and favorite for this story causes me to grin like an idiot. I love that you guys are enjoying the story but not as much as I love all of you.

Thanks again!


	8. Chapter 8

"I am pleased to see you all again." Catherine said with a huge smile upon her wrinkled features. Her voice echoed across the walls of the large hall. Merlin forced himself to give her a smile that he knew was not genuine. Merlin noted that this was the same hall they had all been in when the trial was going on.

The room itself was surprisingly elaborate. A high ceiling held ornately decorated candelabras that easily lit up the entire room. The light bounced to the walls where flowering vines stretched upwards even in the without the crucial need of sunlight. The floor was a smoothed stone that shone as though it had just recently been polished. Elaborate carvings were etched into the walls where there were no plants. Looking closer, Merlin realized they were runes and other words of the old religion.

Merlin was almost sure magic had played a part in almost every aspect of the room. He wasn't able to notice the details when he was first here, but now he felt the immense magical presence that rolled off the walls. The air was electric with the buzz of magic. He couldn't suppress the grin that made its way to his face.

"Likewise," Merlin said.

Arthur noticed that Merlin seemed very distracted by something in the room. The walk down here he had been somber and reclusive, but now he was grinning wildly. Arthur couldn't understand his drastic mood change. Suddenly, Merlin began walking around the room and examining the walls specifically.

Arthur rolled his eyes and turned to Catherine to speak. Before he could say anything, Catherine began.

"I called you all down here so that I could give you a proper tour of the complex. We want you to know what we can offer you if you ever need it in Camelot, King Arthur."

Arthur felt taken aback, which seemed to be commonplace when dealing with Catherine.

Arthur forced a false smile to reach his lips. "I appreciate your eagerness to help, but we must return to Camelot."

A brief look of disappointment flitted across her features, but she nodded. "It is not my place to question my king. I hope that you all will return when the situation is more convenient for you. I will have provisions for your journey collected." Catherine said with a warm and honest smile.

He was about to respond when he became distracted by Merlin. Merlin had stopped and was now staring intently at a small crystal that was upon a pedestal. He seemed to be resisting the urge to touch it. Catherine noticed Arthur's distraction and turned to see Merlin.

Upon seeing his reaction to it, Catherine said, "It truly is a remarkable item isn't it?"

"What is it?" Merlin asked not taking his eyes away from it.

"We needed a way to keep the enchantments that hold the entire complex together continuously funded by our magical energy. It is an instrument that anchors our magic to the complex. Everyone is required to partake in giving up a small portion of their power. We each contribute to its power once every month as it can be a tiring process and draining on one's magic, but it is necessary in order to keep our home strong."

"That's brilliant. May I assume that the enchantments were cast through the runes?" Merlin ask.

Catherine nodded, her eyes shone passionately. "A few of our members took it upon themselves to extensively study runes. It was a monumental task, but I and many others were able to learn so much from it."

"You were among those who helped?"

Catherine nodded and Merlin was incredibly impressed. To study a section of magic so extensively and then work to implement is in a way as Catherine had was monumental and spoke of the loyalty she had to her people here. His mind quickly wandered back to the strangely enticing crystal.

"Would you mind if I tried?"

Catherine smiled and directed her hand towards the crystal. "It would be an honor. Just breath in slowly and direct your power into it. Be warned that you may feel a bit faint afterwards."

Merlin put a single hand on the crystal and took a deep breath. Merlin's eyes then closed. Catherine watched intently as did the rest of the Knights. Arthur stood by confused as to what was happening, but also (he would never admit it out loud) slightly intrigued. The way Catherine had talked about the complex being held together by magic was amazing. Arthur had never before thought of the practical uses that magic could have. He was always taught about magic from the viewpoint of his father, and that was anything but positive.

Merlin's eyes opened with a brilliant golden light. Instead of simply flashing gold momentarily, his eyes continued to stay gold much to the surprise of Arthur and the rest of the Knights. The crystal also began to glow dimly at first until it grew to a blinding light that lit up the entire room. All in the room averted their eyes as it soon became to bright to look at.

It was not at all how one who loathed magic would expect to feel. Arthur felt a comforting warmth that seemed to seep into his very being. The feeling could only be likened to a loving hug from Gwen. The warmth settled in his chest and felt so very right which deeply troubled Arthur. How could anything so pure be considered evil. As fast as the light had grown, it diminished leaving the room bathed once again in its original light. The only noise in the room was Merlin's loud breathing like he had just got done running. His eyes continued to glow for a moment until they faded and returned to their original blue. Everyone gaped at Merlin as he stood there as though unaware of what he had just done.

Catherine took hold of Merlin's arm. He felt her gentle and warm grasp steady him. It was then that he realized he had been swaying at all.

"Would you like a chair, my lord?"

Merlin opened his mouth to answer, but stopped suddenly. Merlin shook his head. He didn't want anything. Sharing his magic had been exhilarating. He had felt the magic of countless others that had done this before him. It was a rush. He enjoyed the feeling of his magic pulsing inside his chest. He had never known that allowing his magic out in such a fashion could affect him like this.

This is what it felt like to be free.

"Alright," Catherine conceded eyeing him up as though she expected him to tip over at any second. "You seemed to exert quite a bit of power. If you feel at all faint, let me know."

"I will." Merlin grinned widely. He felt a swell of his magic rush to his fingertips as he glanced to the crystal again. He longed to release it again. To let it be free, without the reserve he once had for fear of being discovered. Arthur now knew of his magic. What reason did he have now for holding anything back?

 _Fear_

Fear held him back from letting go. He didn't know what extent his magic could go. Frankly, he didn't want to know. The fear of his magic being discovered was drowned whenever he thought of the unknown extent of his power. It was a terrifying conflicting idea to be afraid of what one's own self could do, but he lived with it day in and day out.

Mary burst into the room suddenly. Her excited eyes met Catherine's.

"The river is flowing again. Everyone who saw is sharing the news."

Catherine looked shocked and turned to Merlin who looked at the floor bashfully. Arthur was astonished at how humble Merlin stayed after the feat he just accomplished.

"Inform them that it was the work of Emrys. He continues to help us even when it is not his initial intention."

Mary nodded in understanding and quickly left the room, but not without smiling at Merlin.

"Shall we go and see the newly reestablished river before you set off for Camelot?"

Merlin smiled like he wanted to, but he knew that it wasn't his decision to make. Arthur wanted to leave and Merlin had to follow that decision.

"Only if my king wishes to go." Merlin replied. Arthur barely registered that he had been referred to. He was still relishing in the warmth and comfort that accompanied Merlin's magic.

"I don't see any harm in seeing the river." Arthur said much to the confusion of his Knights. Arthur locked eyes with Merlin's wide eyes. He wasn't doing this for Merlin. Arthur didn't even have to tell himself that. He barely knew why he chose to go. A seemingly subconscious desire to see this river almost screamed that he knew he would be disappointed if he didn't see this.

Perhaps this was the seductive nature of magic his father had always warned him about.

"Excellent," Catherine said with a smile. "We will be heading to the main common area. It is where the river runs past and is home to our craftsman or other specialized workers." She began walking through the doors and down a large hallway. "We have tried to make our complex as much like a city as possible. We didn't want our people to suffer in a dark cave, so extensive magical enchantments have been used to shape and sustain the complex." They reached a set of stone stairs and began walking down them.

As Catherine continued to speak about the complex, Merlin felt more and more confused as to why Arthur agreed to this. He was seeing a river entirely formed of magic, the thing he despised most. Why would he be interested when he had so obviously spoken out against using magic in any situation. Even now as he was walking at the back of the group Merlin could see Arthur and the interest he showed towards Catherine's information he was giving him.

Merlin's stomach suddenly dropped. What if Arthur's motives for learning more about this complex was to undermine all they had built, ridding the world of another group of Druids? He could find them all now. What if there Merlin felt sick as they continued their walk to the river. He wanted more than anything for Arthur to see magic for what it is truly meant to be used for.

"Here we are." Catherine said as they reached a large door. Her announcement brought Merlin from his own thoughts to focus on the present. He looked at the door and saw bright light that was reminiscent of sunshine spilling brightly through the cracks and from the bottom. Bright, happy chatter could be heard on the other side. Catherine opened the large door and each and every one of them were stopped in their tracks. The room was anything from what they had expected. There were ceilings higher than any of them had ever seen, going up in long ling converging on a point. At the center of the ceiling was a large light as bright as the sun. The rays emanating from it bounced off each wall and easily lit up the entire room. The ceiling also had beautiful runes carved intricately with delicate details. The detail and beauty throughout the structure was even more impressive than that of Camelot. Along the walls of the room there were balconies coming from more hallways and various rooms. Lined on the floor of the massive room were rows of vendors and other craftsmen. The entirety of the room mirrored many of the aspects of Camelot's marketplace. People were bustling about, trading and enjoying each other's company.

Gwaine let out a low whistle and Percival barked out a short laugh like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Even Arthur seemed to be at a loss for words as he looked everywhere as though trying to take in every detail he could.

Merlin was amazed at how much the Druids had used magic to improve their lives. Whenever he thought he had seen it all, his attention was drawn to another detail. The entire room was made with incredibly difficult magic that seemed to thrum off the walls. He walked forward past Catherine and the group, bathing himself in the rawness of the room's magic.

It was exhilarating being surrounded by so much good magic when the majority of what he came in contact with in Camelot was some of the darkest and ugliest magic ever created. Closing his eyes he allowed the pleasant feeling to wash over him. He soon became distracted and realized that there was something missing, sound. The room had gone from a bustling and noisy marketplace to silent whispers zipping among the people.

Ignoring the stares and whispers, Merlin turned back to Catherine and said ecstatically, "I've never felt anything more right in my entire life."

Catherine, who seemed at a loss for words, simply smiled and watched as Emrys continued walking through the people. She had felt the way he was feeling several times after she had been away on long trips to extend welcoming hands to other Druid camps. She had also seen those that joined the complex react similarly to this, but Emrys had reacted to it in the best way she had witnessed yet. It was a place where magic could be used to its fullest potential.

Seeing Merlin's odd reaction, Arthur realized that this was the second time something like this had happened in just that day. Yes, the complex was an amazingly structured place beyond anything they could even hope to achieve in Camelot, but his response to what was just an underground cave was confusing to Arthur. He watched as Merlin continued forward looking at everything. Arthur followed as Catherine began walking again to keep up with Merlin. Arthur noticed that where the people were open and receptive to Merlin they shied away from him. He glanced over at a young child and watched as his mother pulled him protectively closer to him. Arthur quickly realized that this mother feared for the life of her child.

Arthur himself would have never executed a child for magic, but his father would have. Uther had always tried to rule fairly and justly. When it came to magic the only decision his father made was the method of execution, but was it really such a condemnable crime? Everything Arthur was taught would tell him that these people were evil. It was an entirely different experience being with them. Arthur's sword suddenly felt heavy at his side and a quick glance confirmed that he and every one of the Knights except Gwaine had brought it out of their fear.

Arthur's thoughts were distracted when he heard the sound of rushing water. Merlin was already at the flowing river and looking at it. A large group of people had edged their way near Merlin. They seemed to be hesitant in starting any conversation with him. As Arthur made his way to the river he noticed some small branches and debris had been flowing along.

Catherine noticed what Arthur saw and said, "The river flows from a lake so we often see sticks make their way down here. Many of the children love the branches from the water because they have never seen an actually tree before."

"They've never left the complex?" Arthur asked incredulously.

Catherine gave a small pained smile. It held the pain of the tradeoff she had made, freedom to use magic in exchange for self imprisonment. "Many of us have been in the complex for years without going to the surface. It's been several months since I myself have left."

Arthur stared in disbelief. He knew that the Druids had been in hiding from Camelot's forces, but he had driven many of them to live underground. He was shocked that some of these children had never felt the warm touch of the sun upon their skin or the rough layered bark of a tree.

"I truly am sorry that I have pushed you all to this point." Arthur said. The words left his mouth before he could bury them. A wave of moral conflict fought inside of him. He glanced around nonchalantly to ensure now one other than Catherine had been around to hear.

"Thank you King Arthur. I can assure you that no one else heard your sentiment."

Arthur stared at her in shock. He knew she was a smart woman, but he had no idea that she was that understanding when it came to Arthur's feelings.

"I know what you are feeling right now is shock and betrayal by Merlin. You need to know that he didn't choose magic. He was chosen for it. He was to be your guide and make sure you become the leader that Albion needs. I trust that you will go above our expectations, but you will need Merlin to help. Do not completely shut him out."

"Merlin made it seem to all of you that I was alright with his magic to protect me?" Arthur asked to which Catherine nodded her confirmation. "How did you know it wasn't the truth?" Arthur asked still amazed at the intellect of the woman standing in front of him.

"It was your eyes, King Arthur. Your eyes held a bitter anger. Eyes can betray your deepest emotions."

"What did Merlin's eyes portray?"

"Desperation," she responded easily. "It is why I sent the messenger boy about dinner last night even when Merlin wanted to be left alone. Neither of you were in the position last night to discuss anything concerning his magic. You had been overcome by anger and hatred that had been instilled in you since the day of your birth. That hatred had been reaffirmed with every betrayal you experienced."

Arthur stood silently and stared at the river. Catherine placed a hand on his shoulder. "I do not blame you for believing that Merlin had betrayed you. I have heard stories of the lady Morgana and how her betrayal affected all of Camelot. You believed that the same thing had happened to Merlin as well, that he had been corrupted by magic. Merlin on the other hand had been terrified of you discovering his magic. He is foretold to be the most powerful of us all and yet he would readily die if you ordered his execution."

"I was not far from it." Arthur admitted ashamedly. "It was only Gwaine that kept me from furthering punishment."

They stood in silence for several moments and watched the river flow and the children running about the water's edge until Catherine broke the amiable silence.

"This is no threat to you King Arthur, but I want you to know there are some here that would do anything to discredit you as the once and future king. I will keep you safe from them to the best of my ability, but make sure that while you remain in the complex they do not discover your true feelings towards magic."

"Why are you keeping me safe then?" Arthur asked in a hushed tone. He had thought that all people with magic would want to end him. They certainly had good reasoning. "You could easily let them know and be rid of me."

"Because I trust Merlin's judgement." She replied confidently. "He trusts you. I will not let anything happen to you or your knights while you are here because of that trust."

Deep shame burned in his stomach. Merlin still trusted him through all that he had put him through? Arthur was about to question her further when an excited shout rang out among the children next to the river. A few small pieces of driftwood had flowed down the river and been caught along the edges of the water. Arthur watched as the children's eyes turned gold and the piece of wood lifted and then settled itself at the feet of the children. Arguing could be heard from the children and they each seemed to want to keep the pieces. Merlin also took notice of the children and walked up to them. As soon as he came up behind them they were silenced and bashfully took interest in their shoes.

"Well what do we have here?" Merlin said with a smile that was quintessential Merlin. "This is quite a find isn't it?"

Several of the children nodded bashfully. One young girl of maybe seven courageously looked up and tugged on Merlin's borrowed shirt to get his attention. Merlin took notice and got down on one knee. The girl was still much shorter than Merlin, but she looked bravely at him and asked, "Do you have any sticks at you home?"

Merlin suppressed a grin and shook his head.

"That's too bad. I have a whole pile of them at home. I want to make my own tree with them one day." She confidently put her hands on her hips. "My parents said that it's too hard to grow trees here, so I am going to build my own."

She grinned up at him and Merlin smiled back but it was forced. A weight settled in his chest at the realization of the hardships these children had to grow up in. They had spent their entire lives underground. Much of the world was still a mystery to them. He suddenly felt the drive to give these children a piece of his world.

"What is your name?"

"Samantha." She replied finally getting coy.

"It's very nice to meet you, Samantha." He held out his hand for her to shake. Her small hand was able to grab three of his fingers as they shook. "My name is Merlin. Can I ask you for something?"

She nodded vigorously and he continued.

"Could I have a stick please? Just a very tiny one?"

Samantha nodded once again and gave him a stick that was about a foot long and smoothed over from its length of time being in the water. Merlin took it and thanked Samantha. He then motioned for her to follow him which she did immediately. At this point all those in the market place were watching their interaction. Arthur continued to stand by Catherine and his Knights as he watched Merlin take the stick and plunge it into the ground so it was standing straight up and down.

"There you go Samantha, I made you a tree." Merlin said playfully.

She giggled and said, "That's not a tree. You just put the stick in the ground."

"Ohhh," Merlin said. "I guess I forgot to do this."

Merlin's extended his hand over the stick and his eyes began to glow. Merlin spoke no words of magic. He channeled all his magic into the dead branch. He continued to expend his power until he heard gasps from the people around him. He felt the ground change as the dead branch came to life and grew thick roots deep into the ground. Merlin pushed one final burst of magic into the tree and stumbled back, grabbing Samantha's hand to pull her away as the tree thickened and grew branches that expanded upwards and sideways.

Arthur was awestruck at the display of Merlin's power. He glanced to Merlin and saw the tell tale sign of magic in his continuously glowing eyes. The tree continued to enlarge, stretching its limbs towards the high ceiling. Leaves sprouted from the branching limbs. As suddenly as it started growing, it stopped. The entire room was silent. They stared in awe at the beautiful tree that now resided by the river. To Arthur, it looked like the trees in Camelot that had been there from before when Gaius was live.

Merlin walked up to it and grabbed a red apple that was hanging just low enough for him to reach it. He then got down on one knee and presented the apple to Samantha.

"Here you go, my lady."

Samantha took the fruit in her tiny hands and stared at it in awe. Before Merlin knew what was happening she had flung her tiny arms around his neck in a hug. Merlin's face contained a huge smile that continued as Samantha let go and went to join her friends in exploring the tree. Merlin stood grinning and watching as the children joyfully shouted and ran up to the tree, tentatively touching it.

Arthur watched as some of the adults walked up to Merlin. One of them said, "That was a lovely gesture, but we have never been able to keep a tree alive for more than a few months."

"I tied this tree to the magic in the earth using my own magic as a permanent anchor. It will replenish itself using that as its energy source." They all beamed at him and bowed their heads slightly. Merlin seemed to get very uncomfortable at that. He dismissed himself from them and turned around and began walking towards Catherine. He watched as the children climbed up on the low hanging limbs while their parents stood by smiling and scolding every once in a while if one of them got too high. Merlin smiled as he thought of the many childhood afternoons he spent with Will playing in the woods surrounding Ealdor. His reverie was ended abruptly as he slammed into another person, nearly knocking them over in the process. Merlin quickly reached for their arm to keep them upright and felt his stomach drop when he realized who it was, Arthur. He quickly regained his footing, using his grip on Merlin to balance himself before taking a step away from the warlock.

"My apologies, sire." Merlin quickly bowed while trying not to draw too much attention. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"So you are clumsy. You weren't lying about that too." Arthur said reverting back to the way he and Merlin would send playful jabs at one another. He set his jaw shut. Arthur had not meant for that comment to slip out. Merlin, not sensing their usually banter, quickly bowed his head again.

"I really am sorry about that. I will try to be more careful." He turned away to quickly remove himself from the situation. He took two steps before Arthur gathered the will to stop him.

"Merlin," Arthur began to which Merlin's entire frame tensed. He slowly turned around and kept his eyes turned downward. Merlin had always looked him in the eyes when speaking to Arthur before this. He had never been one to act like a proper servant until now. Arthur felt a stab of loss for how things were before they came here. The lives both he and Merlin had before this were now forever altered. Arthur longed to have some sense of normalcy back between them, but was reminded yet again by the lies and secrets Merlin had woven. Looking again at the man in front of him, Arthur knew deep down that no matter how much it had hurt him to discover Merlin's magic, he had reacted wrongly.

"Will you look at me when I am talking to you?"

Merlin's eyes quickly snapped up and met his. Arthur was suddenly filled with remorse for his actions towards Merlin. He had been admiring the tree Merlin had created when he had nearly ran him over. The tree had a peaceful aura about it that drew Arthur to it. It was created purely by magic, yet Arthur felt no ill feeling towards it.

As Arthur looked into Merlin's eyes, he knew that it was and had always been the Merlin he had known staring back. Merlin oftentimes too loyal for his own good and Arthur had been too blinded by his hatred of magic to see that clearly. He suddenly felt prompted to walk forward toward Merlin, but he frowned as he noticed the slight step Merlin took away from him. Arthur stopped and sighed. Swallowing his pride he began.

"Merlin, I— I need to apolo-"

Suddenly the entire room except the Knights and Arthur went completely silent. Arthur looked around as some of the kids covered their ears and looked frightened. They ran to their parents who held looks of panic upon each of their faces. Arthur turned back to Merlin who's face was set in a frown. Merlin spun on his heel towards Catherine, who had begun walking towards him as well. Arthur became deeply confused and concerned for what had caused this reaction throughout the room.

What Arthur didn't know was that the room was full of silent talking among the minds of the people. There had been piercing screaming that had echoed through their minds.

"Does that happen often here?" Merlin asked trying to make light of the situation but failing as a serious tone cut into his voice.

"Not typically." Catherine answered in a short manner. A man suddenly came running up to Catherine. He was short of breath and panting heavily. Arthur watched as Catherine's eyes widened in concern, before she carefully concealed her worry. Catherine then turned to Merlin who nodded and they took off at a fast walk. All the people parted as they went past them.

Arthur stared at the Knights in shock. They too seemed to be utterly lost. Arthur looked around at the people in the marketplace. They were now whispering, each with a heavy look of concern on their faces. Parents who's children were present tried to stem the tears spilling from their child's eyes.

 _What the hell just happened?_


	9. Chapter 9

Without a second thought, Gwaine ran after Merlin. He had no idea what had happened but was determined to find out. There was a lot he had yet to learn about these people, but it made sense to think these scenarios were not commonplace. Another contributing factor in his insistence to chase after the reckless sorcerer was Merlin's apparent desperation to throw himself right into the arms of danger. After all the times the young man had tried to get himself killed, Merlin would have to get used to being trailed because Gwaine wasn't about to let him out of his sight.

"What's wrong?" Gwaine asked finally catching up to Merlin.

"We aren't sure." Merlin said honestly. "The scream-"

"What scream?" Arthur cut in. He and the other knights had followed their quick pace and were breathing hard. Gwaine couldn't care less that Arthur and the knights where there. If Arthur did anything to Merlin Gwaine would give Arthur hell.

It was the only thought keeping Gwaine calm in Arthur's presence.

"You should go back to the room, Arthur. It may not safe." Merlin replied not answering Arthur's question. He couldn't afford to focus on Arthur and his safety. He had no idea what they were walking in on. To Arthur, this was just another time when perfectly timed jabs with his sword would save the day. He knew nothing about battling magic with magic, and now was not the time to teach him.

"Need I remind you who makes the rules Merlin?" Arthur's tone was short and his temper was wearing thin. He was slowly becoming convinced that everyone had simultaneously lost their minds. "Now answer my question."

Merlin clenched his jaw in unspoken frustration. Arthur wasn't going to give this up.

"The Druids can communicate through their minds. It is an ability I share also." Merlin stated as they swiftly turned a corner to a tunnel that looked the same as the one they fell into. It was dark and rough, lacking the smooth floor the Druids constructed throughout the main halls of the complex. "There was a scream each of us heard. Catherine only knows the general area it came from."

They walked several more steps before Merlin spoke again. "Please go back to the room." He battled with whether he should say the next thing or not. Against his better judgement he decided to throw caution to the wind. "I can't focus on helping Catherine if I have to worry about your safety."

Merlin glanced towards Arthur after his words. The growing redness in his face was an indication to his swelling frustration.

"Then don't." Arthur snapped. "I am more than capable of looking after myself. I don't need a sorcerer to do it for me."

"I think Merlin is right." Gwaine said sternly.

Arthur scoffed. "What else is new."

Merlin once again felt guilt for Gwaine's decision to leave the knighthood. He glanced to his loyal friend. "Gwaine, I would need you to return as well"

The ex-knight shook his head furiously. "No way in hell I'm letting you slip away to battle whatever is down there by yourself."

"I would be with him." Catherine snapped feverishly. "If you all insist on accompanying us then you need to keep you own matters to yourself and stop bickering like children. There could be people's live's at stake- my people's lives."

Her voice choked out, expressing her deep concern. Her outburst effectively silenced the group and they proceeded to walk in silence. Arthur's hand clasped tightly around the grip of his sword. He took a side glance at his Knights and saw they were doing the same thing. Merlin had moved ahead of them trailing Catherine while Gwaine was attached right at his side. Catherine suddenly put her hand up to stop them.

"What's wrong?" Merlin's eyes roved the dim tunnel but saw nothing to indicate anything was out of the ordinary.

Apparently, that was the problem.

"There should be guards here at all times." Catherine replied. "This tunnel can lead to the surface if you can navigate it properly. We keep guards here at all times. They are not to leave until relieved."

An uneasy feeling entered the group as they continued on slowly and carefully. The tunnel continued to be enveloped by darkness until the only light was from the hall behind them. Merlin and Catherine glanced at each other and both cast a spell for light. Arthur realized then that he could no longer see the walls of the tunnel to his left from the small amount of light offered by the flames. The group continued to walk near the right side of the tunnel as it continued to widen.

"Hello?" Catherine called out into the darkness. Her voice eerily rebounded from the walls. Several moments passed before they suddenly heard a quiet, barely perceptible response.

"Help us."

Even though he had no way to see in the cavern other than the light held in their palms, Arthur began walking into the inky blackness towards the source of the voice. He would have continued had Merlin's arm not stuck out in front of him. He sent a glare to Merlin, but the man wasn't looking at him. In fact, he wasn't looking at anything. His eyes were shut tightly. Above them were tightly scrunched eyebrows as though he were on the verge of feeling pain.

"Something feels wrong." Merlin said simply. Arthur was about to roll his eyes until he continued.

"It feels dark."

"Please." The voice came again. It seemed more desperate.

That finished it for Arthur. He was tired of standing by idly while Merlin decided what to do. Arthur was a man of action and a damn king for that matter. He pushed passed Merlin and ran towards the voice.

"Arthur wait!" Merlin shouted after him.

"I'm not going to stand idly while-"

Arthur cut off his words as fear gripped his voice. Movement off to his left caught his attention. Suddenly, a winged beast emerged from the blackness. By the quick look he got it was easily the size of a horse. Arthur continued to run, but wasn't fast enough to avoid it. It lunged for him with claws swinging towards his neck. Gwen's smiling face flashed across his mind in what he thought would be his last moment of life before it was torn away.

Before the beast managed to reach him, Arthur was catapulted out of the way as a body came launching at him at an incredible speed. It shoved him forward causing him to tumble gracelessly to the ground. Arthur felt the air leave his lungs as he landed on back. That coupled with a heavy weight crashing into his stomach not a second later nearly caused him to vomit. He quickly shoved the limp form off himself and tried to draw in even the smallest breaths. His lungs ached as he gasped for air. Glancing over to what had landed on him, Arthur saw a black mop of hair and pale skin.

Of course it was him.

Only Merlin could be stupid enough to save Arthur while almost breaking his ribs at the same time. Merlin began getting to his feet, but stumbled and fell to his knees. His face was scrunched up in a pained grimace. As Arthur tried to regain proper control of his breathing he felt his heart in his throat at the look of fear on Merlin's face. Merlin's eyes suddenly widened and lit up with gold. Merlin extended his hand and pushed his magic passed Arthur towards where the beast had landed. Arthur looked just in time to watch as it rammed full force into a shimmering barrier. A cry came from Merlin as he shoved the barrier at the beast. The immense surge of power was followed by a loud thud as its body rammed into the wall. The beast fell to the ground where it didn't move again.

Not even a moment passed before Arthur was being pulled and poked at by a frantic sorcerer.

"Arthur, are you alright?" He heard Merlin ask while feeling Merlin's hands pull at his shirt, checking for any sign of an injury.

"Get off me Merlin. You did more damage than anything else." Arthur answered brusquely, shoving Merlin's hands off him. Gwaine came into his line of vision followed by the others.

"What the hell was that?" Gwaine had his sword extended towards the very still body. His eyes were wide with fear as though he worried any second it would spontaneously resurrect.

"Good lord Merlin." Arthur was surprised to hear Percival speak to him at all let alone with a great level of concern laced in his voice. "Are you alright?"

Arthur was confused and sat up quickly which agitated the headache he was steadily gaining. Merlin was struggling to get up to his feet, but before he succeeded Arthur saw what Gwaine had been gaping at. Blood covered Merlin's back and soaked through his shirt turning it a murky red which contrasted sharply with the emerald green. The beast's claws hadn't hit their original target, but they had hit something. When Merlin pushed Arthur out of the way he had used his own body to shield him. The beast had easily torn Merlin's shirt in ribbons. Beneath the tattered shirt ran deep lacerations down the length of his back. Merlin winced as he finally stumbled to his feet, steadied by Gwaine who was being mindful of his newly acquired injuries.

"It's not that bad." Merlin said in a small voice as though it was just a splinter.

"Not that bad?" Gwaine's voice held what seemed to be barely contained anger. "You're lucky that you're not dead right now."

"Gwaine-" Merlin began but was quickly cut off.

"Stop, Merlin. You seem to forget far too often that your life matters too."

"Please Gwaine, not right now. This isn't the worst injury that I've ever received." Merlin said wth finality.

In reality, his back hurt like hell and he was starting to feel light-headed from the blood loss. He was nearly certain the only thing that was keeping him conscious was the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He had been lucky that the injuries for the most part seemed superficial.

Merlin looked to Gwaine hoping he would drop it, but suddenly realized that his assurances were doing little to quell his friend's anger. Gwaine raised his eyebrows, channeling the look Gaius gave him every time Merlin disregarded his own injuries.

Merlin let out a long sigh. "We need to focus on the other people here."

Arthur had been helped to his feet by his Knights. They gave him a quick check to ensure he was still together, but their focus was entirely on Merlin and Gwaine's conversation.

"Are you going to help or continue to mother me, Gwaine?"

Gwaine gave him a pointed look which Merlin matched. Gwaine held onto it for a few moments before he let out a breath he seemed to have been holding, his tense frame relieving some of the tensions his shoulders held. "You scared me, mate."

Merlin suddenly became very interested in the ground. "I know. I'm so-"

"Don't apologize." Gwaine said placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let's help these people so we can get you all healed up."

Merlin smiled and gave Gwaine a small nod in agreement. He extended out his hand and uttered a spell. A blue shining orb grew inside of his palm. Merlin then directed it up into the air. The cool lighting allowed for quite a bit more of the area to be seen. Several bodies littered the edges of the tunnel. From where they were located they could not determine how far their injuries extended.

Gwaine gave Merlin a small nod and walked towards the fallen people. The knights followed out of habit in order to offer their help as well. Arthur tried to move but was stuck where he stood. He remembered that orb. It was the same light that shown in the cave when he went to retrieve the Morteous flower to cure Merlin. Arthur nearly staggered backward after seeing it. Memories lost to rage in the aftermath of Merlin revealing himself as a sorcerer came rushing back.

Merlin had drank the poison meant for Arthur.

Why would a man intent on destroying Camelot bring about his own destruction in such a way. Surely allowing Arthur to die would open up other opportunities to bring about Camelot's downfall. It would have triggered war between Camelot and Mercia as Uther would have executed Bayard on the spot.

The light glowed innocently above their heads. Arthur remembered how it lead him to safety, but how could Merlin have possibly done that when he had been dying? Perhaps it was rather common spell among sorcerers. The problem was Arthur never felt anything when around any other spells. This one stimulated the same feeling of hope he had felt in the cave when he had needed it most. Why was this blue orb different?

"It was a wyvern."

Catherine had been examining the creature after she had checked on Merlin. Her words were enough to bring Arthur back into the moment.

"No." Merlin said in disbelief. He walked up and examined it. He knelt down slowly as to not jostle his torn back any more and placed a hand on the wyvern's slack face. His eyes held a sadness.

"There is dark magic here. The residual effects still cling to its body." Merlin removed his hand and stared up into Catherine's eyes. His eyes held a heavy sadness. "Wyverns may be wild, but they are a noble breed."

Arthur glanced at Catherine to see her response. "Indeed."

"Who would have done this?" Merlin pondered out loud.

It wasn't an answer that anyone had.

"Catherine," Gwaine shouted. He was kneeling next to a prone woman who was dazedly looking around the room. "They are alive but require a physician."

"That is good news." Catherine stated walking towards Gwaine with Merlin trailing close behind her. Gwaine made to stand, but was stopped as a cold hand wrapped itself around his wrist.

The woman's eyes darted fearfully around the room. Gwaine knelt beside her and placed his free hand on top of hers.

"You are safe now." Gwaine assured. The woman looked visibly relieved as she released Gwaine's wrist. "What do you remember?"

"I remember that we were attacked by a wyvern."

Gwaine nodded. "Merlin here was able to take care of the problem."

The woman looked visibly relieved. "We nearly had it under control. It had backed into a corner. That was when the second-"

Gwaine's face when slack. "Second?"

Everyone's stomach dropped after he said that. Gwaine stood and immediately unsheathed his sword and was followed by the other Knights and Arthur. There was a deep growling, one that could be felt in the chest that droned through the quiet of the cavern. He and Catherine immediately turned around to be met with a beast three times the size of the other stalking out from the shadows and towards the group. It sniffed the air and pulled its jowls upwards, showing off its yellowed front teeth that had to be longer than his own finger. This wyvern was easily a quarter of the size of Kilgarrah. Merlin was unnerved staring at the great beast. He didn't know it was possible for them to get that big. He reached frantically for the familiar pull he accessed when he controlled Kilgarrah. It was the rope binding them together as kin. Although it was harder to find within a wyvern, Merlin felt it.

 **"** _Nun de ge dei s'eikein kai emois epe'essin hepesthai!"_ Merlin shouted at the beast.

Catherine's eyes widened in confusion at the words that came out of Merlin's mouth before she realized she had heard that tongue before. It was spoken only by a people thought to be wiped out during the reign of Uther.

 _Dragonlord_.

To her amazement, the wyvern lowered its head reluctantly in submission. All the tenseness in Merlin's shoulders left. It was under his control now. He glanced to Catherine who was looking at him as though it were the first time she was seeing him.

Merlin rubbed the back of his neck. "A little trick I picked up from my father."

"It is quite a trick to pick up." Catherine said picking up on his reasoning for his lack of depth when he glanced quickly to Arthur and back.

"You don't have a father."

Apparently, Merlin hadn't thought it entirely through. Right, all Arthur knew was that his father wasn't in the picture. He whipped around to find Arthur looking like he had been punched in the gut.

"Arthur, I-" Merlin seemed to be struggling for the right words to say. He clenched his fists and looked away from him. "It's complicated."

A stab of betrayal sunk into his gut from the discovery of yet another lie. Arthur shook his head in disbelief. When he looked at Merlin again, his eyes darkened.

"And to think that I was beginning to trust you again."

Merlin's eyes widened. "You can trust me."

Arthur snorted. "I obviously can't if you wouldn't even tell me about your father."

Merlin threw his hands up in frustration. "You haven't given me a chance to!"

"Tell me Merlin." Arthur sneered. "What would a good reason be for me to listen to anything you have to say?" Arthur's tone was one of warning, but Merlin didn't care. It was his turn to say what he needed to.

"Because we were friends, Arthur. I never let you use your title against me before you found out about my magic and I'll be damned if I let you use it against me now."

"You can't speak to me like th-"

"I just saved your bloody life! You owe me this." Merlin's fists were clenched tightly together as his breathing increased. He felt his magic roll in reaction to the bitter frustration he felt towards Arthur.

"All you have done is sit back and make assumptions of who I am, what I have done, how I must have been plotting for years to destroy Camelot because I'm a bloody sorcerer and what else would I every think about other than that. Did you ever stop to think that maybe I am still the same person? No, you didn't."

"Merlin-" Arthur began again, but was cut off by more of Merlin's rant.

"I know I lied to you, but I was never given any indication that I could tell you. I have been your servant for years and all the while I have stopped anything that threatened Camelot just to keep a clotpole of a king alive to fulfill both of our destinies. Every day I lived with the worry that someone would find out and I would be forced to leave my home. Did you ever think about how I felt? No, because you only thought about yourself!"

Merlin breathed heavily through his nose trying to calm his rage before it manifested through his magic. He glared at Arthur and realized a wide eyed look of fear was on his face. His tense hand gripped the hilt of his sword firmly. His gaze was fixated on something past Merlin. It was then that Merlin heard growling behind him.

 _Damn_

Merlin turned around quickly. The wyvern shook his head as though trying to overcome his control which was impossible. There should be now way it could possible stop the hold Merlin had over it unless there was something else at play.

Merlin grasped for the distant connection. " _Nun de ge dei s'eikein-"_

The wyvern suddenly lunged at Catherine who had been edging around it. It sent her flying into the cavern wall. Her body fell limply to the ground. The wyvern continued to stalk towards Catherine. Merlin frantically continued.

 _"Kai emois epe'essin hepesthai!"_

It turned its attention quite suddenly from Catherine to Merlin. Red eyes bore into Merlin's as it began walking towards him.

" _S'enthend' apokhorein nun epello-o-o_!" Merlin continued, but to no avail. Before Merlin could think of a spell, the beast was on top of him pushing Merlin's torn back into the rocky ground. Crying out, the pain momentarily overwhelmed him. Black stretched across his vision. Hot breath coupled with a rotten smell rushed over his face. When his vision finally returned Merlin stared at the beast's giant maw and resisted the urge to gag.

Staring into the cold dark eyes of the beast, he felt the dark magic flowing through its veins. It contrasted heavily with his own magic. The feeling of so much wrongness was suffocating. Merlin struggled to bring any of his magic to the surface but the dark magic cut into him, stopping him from focusing on anything. He struggled to think properly, but his mind became muddled and heavy.

Without warning, the beast dragged its long claws diagonally across Merlin's chest. He couldn't resist the urge to cry out in pain as the claws slowly followed its directed path slicing deep into his torso. It was as though it knew of the pain it was causing and was relishing in feeling the pull of flesh rip underneath it's piercing claws.

Merlin vaguely heard shouting and felt as the claws in his chest tensed up. It's weight was suddenly off Merlin. In his dazed state he saw the hilt of a sword buried deep in its side. The blow hadn't been fatal to the beast and Merlin watched as it stalked towards Gwaine who was now defending himself with a small dagger. He was standing between the beast and Merlin. The beast launched its attack against Gwaine before he had a chance to do anything. Gwaine was sent flying towards Merlin as the beast swiped its claws at Gwaine's legs, knocking him off balance. Merlin looked dazedly at the Knights and Arthur. They had been edging around the fight, but they had yet to find an opening to attack.

Merlin's attention was brought back to Gwaine as he heard an enraged yell. Gwaine held the dagger defensively in his hand when he looked to Merlin with fear etched on his face. Merlin saw a trail of blood coming from Gwaine's leg and saw that it was pointed at an awkward and unnatural angle.

With newfound strength, Merlin created a barrier between Gwaine and the creature just as it lunged at Gwaine. A gentle shimmer was the only indication it was there. The wyvern hit it with full force and continued to throw itself at the shield. Each time the beast rammed into the barrier its strength dulled. Merlin poured all his strength into maintaining it, but knew it wouldn't last long. He glanced at the ceiling and got an idea. It was stupid and wildly unpredictable, but it was the only plan he had.

"Gwaine, do you trust me?" Merlin asked shakily, trying to maintain the barrier. He felt blood pooling on his shirt and didn't dare look to see how much was there.

Gwaine pulled himself closer to Merlin. A shaky laugh bubbled from his chest as he looked at his broken leg.

"Right now I think that's my only choice."

Merlin dropped the shield entirely. The wyvern started towards them again, hesitant at first. It gained more confidence as it realized the barrier had been removed.

"I take that back." Gwaine's tone held nothing of his typical cocky attitude. "I don't trust you."

Merlin ignored his protests and launched all his power towards the ceiling of the tunnel. Rocks immediately began to fall around the room. Merlin shouted and let his magic loose with the sole intention to keep those in the tunnel safe. Blackness edged on the corners of his vision. His eyes frantically roved to find Arthur. They locked onto his king just before he passed out completely. Terror had taken hold of his facial features. Merlin had one last thought before he lost consciousness completely.

Arthur never expresses fear.

"MERLIN!" Arthur shouted, but his voice was lost in the loud noises of the rockfall. Rocks began to fall on top of the beast and around them. Arthur ran forward to get Merlin and Gwaine out of the way when he felt a giant force push him back. Arthur and the rest of those in the cavern were thrown unceremoniously away from the destruction that rained around them. Arthur saw one last glimpse of Merlin's prone form before the ceiling fell on top of him and Gwaine.

The vast amount of damage Merlin had wrought with his own hand was staggering. Arthur attempted to run forward only to be stopped by an invisible force. He ripped his sword out of its sheath and began to slash at the barrier, but to no avail. Rocks continued to fall until there was no sight of the monster and definitely no sight of Merlin and Gwaine. They were lost beneath the bone crushing weight of the boulders.

When the rocks finally settled, Arthur's sword slashed past where the barrier had been. He wasted no time in running forward. His Knights followed him, stumbling over the rocks that littered the ground and blocked the now decimated cavern. Every second that passed Arthur felt more panicked.

Arthur forced himself forward towards his knights who were attempting to search through the mess. Hesitance stopped him in his tracks. What state Merlin and Gwaine would be in? He made to clear his throat of the dust he inhaled and nearly choked as bile rose up.

They were just about to move a large slab of rock when they heard footsteps behind them. He turned around and came face to face with some of the parents of the children who had been playing in the tree. They had been accompanied by healers and what seemed like guards that were checking over those who had been injured upon arrival. Each Druid seemed apprehensive to help in anyway necessary.

"Let us, Sire." One of the fathers said respectfully. Arthur and the knights stepped back and watched as several of them muttered a spell in unison. The large rock lifted and Arthur could see a dim blue light from the cracks in the rocks.

"They're under here." Elyan shouted. More Druids gathered to help. They stepped forward and each began to pull rocks away one at a time. The blue light grew brighter and they could just make out a figure. The final rocks were cleared away. To everyone's amazement, Gwaine was sitting up with his leg still bent at an awkward angle. He was leaning over a Merlin's prone figure and applying pressure to his wounds as a small blue light flickered about his head. He was pale and seemed to be fighting to remain awake through the pain. Merlin on the other hand was unconscious but Arthur found comfort in seeing the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Several healers wasted no time and rushed forward into the small space to aid Gwaine. He nodded at them and was pulled out as gently and quickly as possible. They laid him down and several tended to his injuries while the others rushed in to get Merlin. As soon as everyone was clear, the small opening Merlin and Gwaine had been in collapsed upon itself.

Arthur felt the driving need to ensure Merlin was alright. He pushed aside the feelings of betrayal and his own pride realizing just how much Merlin was willing to sacrifice today. There was truly no way that Arthur could believe Merlin was anything other than good. All Merlin had said when Arthur had been blinded by his own rage was true. Today was yet another example of his servant's selflessness. Arthur in no way deserved what Merlin had done for him. The idiot could have simply let the beast kill him, but he didn't. He had put himself in harm's way to keep Arthur safe.

A crushing guilt for his actions overcame him. If Merlin was permanently hurt from today it would be because of Arthur.

Arthur automatically gravitated towards Merlin while the healers were moving him to a gurney. Catherine, who had been awoken a few minutes prior by healers, hovered by him. They lifted him up in a stretcher and began to transport him to what Arthur was certain would be an infirmary of some sort.

"Merlin, can you hear me?" Arthur heard Catherine call to Merlin as she grabbed his hand maternally. At her words Merlin's eyes fluttered open and immediately closed again as he grimaced.

"I think I owe you a new ceiling." His words came out just above a whisper. Catherine smiled and gave a half laugh.

"You can fix it just as soon as you are done bleeding."

Merlin gave her a small nod. A smile played on his lips even through the pain he was experiencing.

"Is everyone safe?" He asked concernedly.

"Yes, Merlin." Catherine confirmed. "Because of your actions everyone will be able return back to their families. You have done us all a great service tonight. You have my undying gratitude for keeping my people safe."

They continued walking. Arthur nearly followed before he stopped himself. Would Merlin even want to see him after everything he had done? Arthur hadn't been deserving of Merlin's friendship before when he had been his manservant, yet Merlin gave it freely. Now, all wanted was for Merlin to see him as a man he could respect once more. Arthur yearned to go back with what he knew now.

Not that it mattered.

Merlin had lied primarily to keep himself alive. Judging by the reaction Arthur had, Merlin was obviously justified in keeping the secret to himself. Arthur had refused to believe Merlin when he was telling him the truth from the beginning. Now, Arthur was attempting to reason with himself to lessen the severity of his actions, but he knew of what he had done. His inability to believe the person he trusted most showed the man Arthur Pendragon was.

He was now more determined than ever to change that.

"It's amazing." Arthur heard Percival mutter. He turned around and gave Percival a questioning look. Percival took notice and continued on.

"He kept everyone alive."

"He thought of everyone." Elyan added.

"Everyone except himself." Arthur said to himself, filling with a burning shame. The knights around him were quiet. There were druids buzzing around, working frantically to help everyone else. The chaos around him didn't register to him. It was as if he were no longer in the room. He felt disconnected from himself, like he had just woken up to find the world around him had change forever.

In a way it had, in fact, been altered indeterminately.

"Sire," Percival began slowly. "I believe it would do us good to follow them to ensure we do not lose our way in the tunnels."

Arthur took a second to register what Percival said. He nodded when he finally processed it. They began walking. Arthur was forced to put one foot in front of the other and continue on while his thoughts rushed around his head.

All Arthur knew at that moment was that the core belief his father had raised him to believe and he had held steadfastly was all a lie.

 **I have to say it again. THANK YOU! You are all wonderfully supportive and kind. There is still quite a bit of the story to go. I hope you continue to read and review. Any feedback from all you wonderful people is always welcome.**


	10. Chapter 10

Coming out of unconsciousness, Merlin was greeted by pain that spread across his entire torso. The slashes from the claws that had torn into him now throbbed with each breath he took. The initial pain from the injury was nothing compared to what he felt now as adrenaline had been pumping furiously through his veins and, in effect, masked the true extent of his injuries.

Perhaps that was why he had passed out while being moved to the infirmary. Vaguely, he recalled Catherine's voice continuously getting louder as she cried for him to stay awake. Her words had been drown out by a ringing noise that overwhelmed his hearing. Catherine's lips moved, but Merlin had heard her voice as though he were underwater. He had known by the look of panic in her eyes that she was concerned for him, but he had nothing left in him to care. Using his magic to that extent had ravaged him of what little strength he had at the time.

Merlin didn't need to look around the room to know he was tucked into a bed in a section of the infirmary. This room was slightly different from what he had woken up in the previous day. It was about half the size of the infirmary. A few candles cast a gentle glow across the room. Of course he would have to see all the infirmaries this complex held before even finishing a proper tour. A small chuckle formed on his lips. He must have been given something for the pain if he had found that humorous. Judging from how terrible he felt at the moment he seemed to be on the tale end of the dose.

Merlin reached toward the edge of the blanket and weakly tossed it towards his feet. With his entire torso revealed, Merlin was able to see white wrappings snake around him. Well, they weren't entirely white. Several red stains ran parallel to the injuries hidden beneath the wrappings. There was a light smell of a basic salve for dressing wounds that Merlin found familiar as Gaius used it quite often in Camelot.

His chest ached. He wished Gaius was here. In some ways, Merlin missed the worrying and oftentimes scolding remarks Gaius shot at him from time to time. If he had been here the aged physician would have berated Merlin for being so careless. Merlin smiled as he imagined what strong words Gaius would have to say. Even so, Merlin would have given anything at the time to consult with Gaius on what he ought to do with Arthur. Gaius was always one to know how to handle Arthur. The physician had been a father to both of them in some ways. Merlin had barely known Balinor before he died and there had been no one in Ealdor who would take a bastard under their wing. When Arthur needed the love Uther refused to show his son out of fear of being seen as weak, Gaius had been there for him.

Merlin glanced wearily around the room. He knew the healers would not leave him alone for too long and that sooner or later they would be buzzing about the room fussing over his injuries. He had just begun to try and clear his head of his depressing thoughts when a gruff and distinctly recognizable voice echoed across the room.

"You look terrible." Gwaine stated from a doorway across the room. Merlin started and a hiss escaped his lips from the pain of the sudden movement. His friend muttered a quick apology as he began to slowly walk closer to Merlin's bed. Merlin's gaze caught on the crutch resting beneath Gwaine's armpit and then upward where it rested upon Gwaine's heavily bruised face. His injuries did not stop a wide smile from filling Gwaine's tired features.

Merlin smirked at the comment and cheekily smirked.

"I'm sure I still look loads better than you."

Gwaine only grinned at that.

"The healers are stretched pretty thin at the moment. There were several with more extensive injuries than what it seemed. So that's why I'm stuck with this limp and you're not entirely healed. I would have thought that with all your influence among these people that they would have fixed you right up immediately."

Merlin scoffed. "I don't deserve treatment over one who needs it more."

Gwaine shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just saying. Now you'll be able to go about showing off your battle scars. They easily put anything I have to shame. Every woman will swoon over your heroic actions."

Merlin frowned. The scars would be quite impressive, but the memories accompanying those scars would not be pleasant to look back upon.

"I am surprised that you weren't worse off." Gwaine began again as though sensing his uneasiness. "Destroying the tunnel and all couldn't have been an easy task, especially when you were more hurt than I was."

Merlin didn't answer. He was ashamed of his lack of control with his power. First he had been unable to control the wyverns (a mystery that he would have to debate with Kilgarrah at a later point) and then he hadn't been strong enough to remain conscious to ensure everyone's safety. He had put too much trust in his own magic.

"It's a curious situation." Gwaine continued despite Merlin's seeming lack of interest in pursuing the conversation.

Merlin tilted his head in a confused manner. "How so?"

"You were unconscious, hell, I thought you were dead. When I saw the boulders falling, I thought I was a dead man too, but you still managed to keep me alive."

Merlin looked away from Gwaine. He finally found his voice and answered. "It would have been my fault if you had died. I shouldn't have been so reckless with my magic. There must have been some other way to-"

"Stop it, Merlin." Gwaine interrupted. "You weren't reckless at all. You kept everyone in that tunnel safe and you even killed the beasts. The tunnel can be repaired. I believe you did what was best in that situation, mate."

Merlin gave a small smile and rubbed his aching head. "How long have I been out?"

"About a week."

"What!" He began to sit up despite his injuries, but was stopped by Gwaine's gentle but firm hands.

"I'm only joking." Gwaine laughed replacing the blankets that Merlin had dislodged. "It's been a few hours."

Merlin winced as he felt the results the movement had on his injuries. He swallowed hard, waiting for the pain to pass. He didn't know what would have happened to Arthur and the Knights if he had been asleep that long.

"Actually," Percival's deep voice cut into the room. His large form came out of the shadows. "You look like you need about a week of sleep."

Leon and Elyan followed suit and also came into view. Even in his injured state, Gwaine went on the defensive. He pulled himself up to his full height and glared at the knights.

"I hate to agree with Gwaine on anything, but he is right. You do look terrible." Leon stepped farther into the room. Gwaine limped forward and stood face to face with him. Even with an impaired limb, Gwaine was a formidable adversary and not one to cross if you knew what was best for your own safety.

"Get out." The tone in Gwaine's voice didn't leave room for any debating.

"Why don't you take a seat Gwaine. Your leg is still mending." Leon reached for his arm to guide him to the chair, but he wrenched himself out of his grip.

"I don't give a damn about my leg. I'll only say it one more time. Get out."

"It's alright, Gwaine." Merlin assured while looking amongst the group, worry was present on his face like bright paint on a canvas. "Where's Arthur?"

"He is safe. Do not be concerned." Elyan said. "We are all safe. Because of you."

"But-"

"Merlin," Leon halted Merlin's counter before he could even formulate it. "We know that you mean no harm to Camelot or any of us. We knew it all along we were just-"

"Idiots," Gwaine supplied.

"We were simply shocked." Percival finished while Leon shot Gwaine a glare. "Magic has been seen as serious crime for so long that we were blinded by that reason alone. We never even gave you a chance to prove the stereotype wrong."

"I'm talking on behalf of all of us when I say that we owe you an apology. You have saved us all more times than we know and above all you have kept our king safe. We judged you wrongly and only by the fact that you have magic instead of by your actions. For that we are all truly sorry." Leon said bowing his head in respect. The others followed suit.

Merlin stared at the Knights in shock. He was incredibly surprised and at a loss for words. He looked to Gwaine who's entire demeanor had change when he heard the Knights say what he had known all along. A smile now pulled the former knight's lips into a smile.

"I lied to you all." Merlin's voice cracked slightly. "I don't deserve this."

"No, Merlin." Elyan said placing a hand on his shoulder. "We don't deserve everything that you have done for us."

Merlin smiled at each of the knights. He had been wishing for this to happen for years. For his friends to know about his magic and for him to be accepted. After his magic was revealed he feared that this was beyond reach, but as he looked at each of the Knights, he knew that they truly meant everything they had just spoken. It was a surreal experience. His smile was quickly broken when he thought of Arthur.

Gwaine seemed to notice his change and gestured to the knights in the room. "If this lot can come around then I'm sure Arthur will as well."

Merlin only nodded. Arthur was the only reason he had been given his magic, yet he hated him for it. Not that Arthur's hate was entirely unjustified. He had only ever been hurt by those with magic. Now it turned out that Merlin too joined that growing list of people.

Merlin was ripped from his depressing thoughts when he heard Elyan say, "The healers informed us that your injuries will take some time to fully heal."

Merlin gave a nod in acknowledgement. He hated not being practiced in healing spells. If he had been proficient at them he wouldn't still be sitting there doing nothing. He could be helping those who needed medical attention.

He really ought to practice once this was all over.

"They also said that your bandages needed to be changed as soon as you woke up." Merlin's gaze switched to Percival who was eyeing the discolored wrappings tightly bound around Merlin's torso.

"I'll do it." A voice said from the doorway before anyone could say any more.

As Arthur stepped forward into sight he noticed each of the knights held a slightly guilty look upon their faces. Arthur's gazed switched immediately to Merlin who's body stiffened under the King's stare. Gwaine glared at Arthur and limped closer to Merlin. His calloused hand protectively found its way onto Merlin's bare shoulder.

Arthur had been standing outside the farthest entrance to the room. He had been entirely unable to take the few extra steps he needed to enter. As he had been waiting several healers worked on Merlin. One of them muttered what Arthur could only think to be spells before the others began smearing a paste on the lacerations and bandaging his chest. It hadn't been more than ten minutes before they had left the room in a hurry to help the next patient. Arthur pushed himself against the wall as they rushed passed without batting an eye at Arthur. Their eyes were heavy and they each seemed more worn down than Arthur had ever seen a physician look, which was saying something when Gaius so often set his own needs aside for his patients.

Even when the room had finally emptied of everyone but Merlin, Arthur still couldn't move. He had stood frozen in his spot with his own remorseful thoughts to keep him company. He had heard Gwaine enter the room at some point. His wooden crutch rapped upon the stone floor with every other step he took. Gwaine stood by the side of Merlin's bed watching the young man's shallow breathing. Then, as if to prove it to himself, Gwaine laid a hand upon Merlin's chest above where his heart beat sluggishly in his sleep. Bowing his head, Gwaine took a shaky breath to calm what Arthur understood as his mounting nerves.

Arthur's heart had sunk in realization. Merlin was the only person Gwaine had now. Of all the tales Gwaine regaled during their hunting trips or tavern visits he never once mentioned his family, but who would when they are directly around you. It was why Gwaine had become so irate after Merlin had shielded Arthur with his own body from the wyvern. Gwaine's friendship with Merlin, himself, and the other knights extended to a familial bond. In all of Arthur's rage after learning of Merlin's magic, he had forced Gwaine to choose sides.

Arthur pulled his head up to feign confidence as he looked among the conflicted faces before him.

"Alone if you don't mind."

Gwaine tightened his grip on Merlin's shoulder and started to say something, but Leon cut him off and began leading him from the room. Gwaine initially resisted but conceded when Merlin directed him with a short nod. On the way out Gwaine sent Arthur a glare that would scare most Knights. Arthur bit back any remark demanding more respect from Gwaine. After all his actions, he understood Gwaine's hesitation to leave them alone. Hell, Merlin may have received more than bruises if Gwaine hadn't forced Arthur to stop attacking Merlin after he discovered his magic.

When they all left Arthur followed them to the door and shut it behind them. As he turned around he glanced at Merlin. The man was trying and failing miserably to hide his fear. Even through his shame for his actions, Arthur was mildly amused at this. He had seen this man perform great magical feats that he was positive no one else in this complex could accomplish singlehandedly. Arthur was also nearly certain that Merlin could kill him with a single thought if he wanted to. Yet, he was still afraid of Arthur.

Walking across the room, Arthur grabbed the wrappings from a table nearby and then proceeded pull up a nearby chair. All the while, Merlin stared directly ahead as if he were in a trance. There was no attempt to meet Arthur's eyes. Merlin simply kept his head bowed in a seemingly submissive manner, the complete opposite from when he had been shouting at Arthur just hours before.

"Can you sit up?"

Merlin nodded, not looking at Arthur. He used his arms to push himself up part of the way, but stopped and attempted to hide a grimace. It was poorly executed and prompted Arthur to carefully pull him up into a sitting position. His thin frame tensed even more as though it was trying to retreat into itself. Added guilt settled itself heavily upon Arthur's chest, but he continued with the task at hand. Arthur helped guide Merlin's legs so they draped over the edge of the bed.

"This may hurt." Arthur said softly as he began removing the bandages surrounding Merlin's torso. Merlin bit his tongue to keep himself from crying out as the bandages pulled at his torn skin Arthur knew of the added level of pain he was causing, but continued on at the same pace knowing the sooner he finished the sooner Merlin's pain would begin to dull again. When Arthur finished steadily removing the wrappings from his chest, Merlin released the breath he had been holding. A shiver spread through his body and the hair on his arm stood straight up as the coolness of the dark room met him.

Looking down at his chest he saw angry inflamed skin. It was no longer bleeding but seemed as though it was threatening to at any second. Merlin sat there awkwardly as he waited for Arthur to continue. A minuted passed without any further actions. Merlin squirmed slightly while watching Arthur's eyes rove over his injuries. He nearly piped up until Arthur spoke.

"Which ones?"

Merlin simply stared at Arthur confused by what he meant. Arthur must have sensed his confusion as he clarified in a gentle tone.

"Which scars have you received for me?"

Merlin simply stared at Arthur and after a minute he shook his head. Arthur had no idea what he was getting into by asking this. Even through everything Arthur did to him after discovering his magic, Merlin didn't want him to find out this way. He had always imagined telling Arthur about this on his own terms.

"Please Merlin."

Arthur placed his hand on Merlin's shoulder in a friendly manner, but Merlin immediately pulled away. Arthur glanced to Merlin who met his eyes, surprising Arthur. They held their gaze for what seemed like an eternity. Arthur struggled to find the words again to ask when Merlin slowly pointed to a mark on his back that Arthur could have easily ignored if not pointed out to him. The scar was small but easily recognizable to all who travelled through the forests a fair amount. It was a mark that meant death for whoever was the bearer. Arthur's eyes widened in realization of what it was.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"If you are thinking that it is a serket sting then you would be correct." Merlin replied in a low voice.

"Only dead men bear that mark." Arthur's stomach turned at the thought. "How did this happen?"

"I was following Morgana when she and Morgause caught me. They weren't entirely pleased to see me."

"And they left you to the serkets?" Arthur's nostrils flared with hate he was feeling towards his sister. She had left Merlin of all people to vicious creatures whose sting was almost always fatal. "When was this?"

"At the time your father's health began to fail before Cendred's army attacked."

Arthur began to form together the unspoken pieces. "You were suspicious of her from the beginning weren't you?"

Merlin opened his mouth to answer, but found he couldn't. He settled for a nod instead.

Arthur let out a long breath. It was a little habit he had picked up when frustration from dealing with lords disputing over land or other arbitrary topics threatened to usurp his calm demeanor. "We could have saved a lot of lives had I been told."

Merlin fought stinging tears. Arthur's reaction to this hurt Merlin more than the wyvern. He found his voice. "You wouldn't have believed me."

"Merlin-"

"Don't try to deny it, Arthur." Merlin's tone left no room for argument. "Morgana was nobility. You had grown up with her and Uther cared for her. Compared to that I was just the idiot manservant with a mental affliction."

"That would have been a slight problem." Arthur conceded. There had been times when Merlin confided in Arthur about potential danger that he simply laughed off. Merlin stating Morgana was evil would have been no different.

Merlin snorted. "You think."

"How did you survive?" Arthur asked but Merlin's eyes widened. He opened and closed his mouth several times as though trying and failing to answer. Arthur assumed that it would have to be some sort of magic for him to still be alive. He decided to not push the issue for fear of Merlin shutting him entirely out. He ignored Merlin's lack of answer and continued.

"What about this?" Arthur asked pointing to the scar from the burn upon his chest.

"I was fighting a sorceress." He said bluntly. Arthur assumed that his lack of detail was for a reason, but he had already let Merlin slide on the last question.

"Pray tell, does this sorceress have a name?"

"Nimueh." Merlin answered bluntly.

"Why the hell did you go after her?" Arthur watched Merlin's expression darken.

"I didn't go after her." Merlin snapped. "I don't go looking for fights, I simply get thrown into them."

Arthur's gaze wandered to Merlin's bloodied chest, the proof of Merlin's previous statement. He glanced back to Merlin who had was looking at his chest himself. Merlin sighed, allowing the tension that had paired itself in his moment of anger to subside.

"After you were attacked by the questing beast Gaius and I looked for a cure." Merlin's breath shuddered slightly as he remembered the fear he felt at the time. "We came up empty handed."

"Then how am I still alive?"

"As there was no cure the only option was to strike a deal with a high priestess. You cannot save a life without taking another. Balance must be kept." Merlin looked at Arthur. "I went to her to offer my life for yours."

Arthur took another deep breath. It felt heavy, weighed down by the guilt of his actions mingled with the new knowledge how far Merlin was willing to go for him. "You and I are still alive so what happened next?"

"Nimueh didn't trade my life, but that of my mother's. I was going to go back to force Nimueh to trade my life, but Gaius beat me to it. W-when I got there he wasn't breathing. I lost my temper"

Merlin stopped. Arthur knew that there was something that he wasn't telling him, but didn't push the subject. He remained silent and waited for Merlin to continue on his own accord and not by Arthur's promptings. Merlin sighed as though he was unloading a heavy burden that he had carried for miles.

"She may have injured me, but I killed her. It was life taken so that Gaius could survive."

Arthur stared dumbfounded at his servant. This man sitting before him was riddled with scars, some that were not visible. Arthur would have died long ago if it hadn't been for Merlin. Arthur could see that now.

"Just how much power do you have if you were able to defeat her?"

Merlin flinched at this question and drew farther from Arthur. Arthur sensed that he had struck a major chord that had been blaring in Merlin's mind. Arthur was just about to disregard it when Merlin said, "I have too much power."

That was not the answer Arthur was expecting. He knew from living as royalty that one never ceases to increase their power and there was certainly never such thing as too much. Merlin on the other hand knew what power could do and seemed to fear himself for it.

"And yet you stayed a servant when you could have ruled Camelot." Arthur said. He slowly raised his hand and gently placed it on his shoulder again. This time Merlin did not pull away.

"Merlin, I have been betrayed by those with magic far too much in my life, but you never did. Even when I didn't deserve an ounce of your loyalty you continued to support me." Arthur paused. Merlin still refused to look at him. Arthur feared he had further damaged any prospect of remedying his actions by his approach. Perhaps he should have interrogated Merlin after he had apologized. He had let his damn pride rear its ugly head when he should have never been focused on himself. This had been about Merlin, yet Arthur had made it about himself.

"I also understand now why you never told me. I know that if this entire hunting hadn't ended up this way that you would have continued to save me from the shadows, taking no credit for your actions." Arthur paused and Merlin finally looked at him.

"I allowed myself to be blinded by my emotions and refused to listen to your reasoning for not telling me." Arthur clasped his hands together, noticing the slight discoloration along the tops of his knuckles and remembered the forced behind it when he punched Merlin. He caught a glimpse of Merlin staring at his knuckles.

"If Gwaine hadn't been there I don't know how far I would have gone." Arthur worked his jaw and felt tears stinging his eyes.

"I would have stopped you." Merlin said in a low voice.

Arthur clenched his jaw together and shook his head laughing once. "No, you wouldn't have."

Merlin didn't argue his point any further. Arthur sniffed and held his eyes closed for a moment. He wouldn't allow himself to selfishly give into his own emotion.

"I know I don't deserve forgiveness, but I need you to know that I regret my actions. I need you to know that I am sorry. I hope that one day you come to trust in me again as I trust in you. If it had been my decision I wouldn't have entrusted this power to anyone else but you."

The room was quiet after that as Merlin tried to overcome his shock. Arthur sat in quiet while hoping for a response.

Nothing.

The young king held his breath to keep Merlin from seeing how close he was to breaking down. He removed his hand from Merlin's shoulder and awkwardly stood. He turned around quickly from Merlin and tried to even his shallow breathing. There had been a part a part of Arthur that thought perhaps Merlin would come to see him once again as someone worth saving. As he moved closer to the door that hope dwindled. Arthur kept his direction and he suddenly found his hand gripped around the cool handle of the door.

"I never thought that I would live to see this day."

Arthur whipped around at the sound of Merlin's voice. His tone betrayed nothing as to what he was feeling and his head was tilted downward. Arthur took several hopeful steps towards him.

"Arthur Pendragon, apologizing." As Merlin looked at him, Arthur recognized a familiar twinkle that hadn't been there for a time. "And to me of all people. What's next, a hug?"

Arthur let out a short laugh. A wave of relief came over him. He struggled to respond but was at a loss as to what to say.

Merlin didn't hate him.

"Are you not going to say anything?"

The look in Merlin's eyes told Arthur everything he needed to know, but it was too much for him. Arthur looked to the floor as memories of his actions came back to him. Arthur knew he didn't deserve this. Merlin had been through hell for and because of Arthur. He knew the extraordinary man in front of him would face worse if it meant that Arthur was safe.

"I don't even know what I would say."

"It's a simple yes or no answer, Arthur. Do I get a hug?"

All at once, the past few days were erased and the years of friendship were brought at the forefront of Arthur's mind. Before he knew what he was saying, Arthur fell back into the habitual banter he and Merlin shared daily.

"If I were you I'd feel honored in settling for the apology. Kings do not often admit their faults."

Arthur nearly spat out an apology before he heard a short laugh that mixed with a pained groan as it tapered.

"There's the prat I know." Merlin grinned through a grimace. "As amazing as this has been could you finish with the wrappings? It's cold in here."

"Stop being such a girl Merlin." Arthur smiled widely. "You know, if you hadn't gone and got yourself hurt you wouldn't need to be bandaged."

Merlin scoffed indignantly. "I saved your life!"

"Yes you did, but next time try to make sure your life is safe too. It's awfully boring waiting for you to get better all the time."

After the playful banter they exchanged, Merlin knew Arthur had truly meant everything he had said.

Arthur didn't hate him.

Merlin felt a load lift from his shoulders as Arthur went about meticulously wrapping the bandages across his torso and behind his back. His work was slow and sloppy, but Merlin wasn't about to tease him after everything that had happened. Arthur finished securing the wrappings and placed them upon the table. He turned around and came back towards Merlin, opting to sit gently upon the edge of his bed rather than his chair. He looked to Merlin and gave him a small smile.

"You can tell me everything now."

Merlin felt his stomach drop. Everything? All his mistakes and all the times he had failed were to be thrust out in the open. He tried to fight the look of fear that flitted across his face momentarily. Arthur didn't miss it.

"You're going to hate me."

"Merlin-"

"Lying to you about my magic hasn't been the worst fault I've done and remember what you did afterwards!"

Merlin's face flooded with worry after realizing what he had said. "I'm sorry, Arthur. I didn't-" Merlin silenced himself.

It had hurt Arthur more that he would have cared to admit, but he bit his tongue to keep himself from speaking. Merlin was dangerously close to entirely closing himself off. Arthur's own pride was not what mattered.

"Don't apologize." Arthur placed a hand on his back. "Merlin, I don't know what you are afraid to tell me, but there are times when we all make mistakes. Some we may hold with us for our entire lives. I would like to believe mistakes themselves do not define a person. It is what we choose to do in the aftermath that dictates the type of person we are. After all you have done for me, Merlin, I would never force you to do this."

The offer was tempting. Revealing his magic had been one of the hardest things of his entire life, but this may come to rival that. Arthur was offering to allow him time. Time that Merlin could use to push this conversation off until later, but it would just be postponing the inevitable.

"Careful," Merlin elbowed Arthur's ribs, prompting Arthur to remove his hand from Merlin's back. "People will start thinking we are actually friends."

Arthur laughed genuinely for the first time in several days. "We can't have that can we?"

Merlin took a deep breath and rubbed his hands together. He looked up and Arthur saw the tears welling in his eyes. "I know that no matter how much I would want to change the past I wouldn't. We may not be at this point today had situations been different."

"So you'll tell me?"

Merlin nodded. "Yeah, I'll tell you."

"I for one would like to be present for this conversation." Gwaine said returning to the room from the furthest entrance.

Arthur rubbed his temples frustratedly. "Have you been listening this whole time? What part of alone do you not understand?"

"The alone with possibly questionable motives part. There are two doors you know and you only locked one." Gwaine responded cheekily. He sobered after a moment. "I want to extend an apology to you, Arthur, about my outburst towards you in the tunnels and my insulting you after-"

"There is no need to apologize, Sir Gwaine." Arthur said extending his hand, which Gwaine graciously grabbed." You may have been out of line but you were putting Camelot first and trying to keep everyone safe and unified."

Gwaine raised an eyebrow at the King. "Sir Gwaine?"

Arthur sighed. "Unless you are still hell bent on leaving?"

"I think I'll stay." Gwaine smiled widely. "Someone will have to help Merlin keep your ego in check, Princess."

"Arthur," Merlin began. "It would make it a lot easier if everyone could hear so I don't have to repeat this conversation. Where should I start?"

"The beginning."


	11. Chapter 11

"Let me get this straight," Arthur said for the fourth time since Merlin began speaking about his magical adventuring, from pulling him out of the way of the dagger to defeating Sigan and so on. "All the times you disappeared for hours or even days wasn't because of the tavern but because you were warlocking stuff around?

Merlin rose an eyebrow and smirked. "I'm not so sure that's an actual term."

"If it wasn't it is now." Arthur stated indignantly. He leaned forward so his forearms rested on his thighs as he struggled to come to terms with just some of the situations Merlin had dealt with on his own. From what Merlin had described, Arthur realized he has fought nearly as much as some of the oldest knights Camelot had.

Gwaine laughed while staring pointedly at Arthur. "I always knew you were slow."

Arthur scoffed. "I'm the king, Gwaine."

"Doesn't mean you can't be slow." Gwaine grimaced as he lifted his injured leg he had propped across on Merlin's bed and moved it to rest upon a pillow.

The other knights sat nearby as Merlin spoke. One of the infirmary's nicely made beds would have to be redone as it was being occupied by the four knights who were sitting upon it listening attentively. Leon was nearly falling off the end as Percival's wide shoulders wouldn't allow him any closer.

Elyan cleared his throat directing their attention to him. "If you're done antagonizing the king, Gwaine, I would like to ask a question. Who else knows of your magic?" Elyan bit his lip as though not wanting to ask his question. "Does-"

"Gwen doesn't know." Merlin interrupted, reading Elyan's mind perfectly.

The knight seemed to release a breath he had been holding and his shoulders dropped their tension. "Forgive me for feeling relieved."

"There's no need to." Merlin knew exactly why Elyan had reacted the way he did. Knowing his secret had forced Gaius into dangerous situations in the past. Reliving the times when Merlin felt as though he would lose Gaius was hard enough. He couldn't imagine living with himself if he had put Gwen into the same situation. "It's not a secret I wanted others to have to carry."

Arthur raised his pointer finger which garnered Merlin's attention. "Am I safe to assume that Gaius knows?"

Merlin nodded quickly and smiled at the memory of adjusting during his first few days in Camelot living with the wizened old man as his only confidant.

"Gaius told me right away that my magic was- different. I knew no spells when I first walked into Camelot. Yet, when Gaius would purposefully knock water off the table I could stop it instantly."

"So he taught you magic?" Arthur asked trying to piece together Merlin's odd situation.

"No, Gaius never used magic unless absolutely necessary for healing after the purge. He gave me a book of magic to study and use to mold my power so I could better control it. Otherwise, you would have all known and I would have lost my head ages ago."

Gwaine cleared his throat and looked at his hands. "I had my own suspicions."

Merlin's head shot up to look confusedly at Gwaine. It was the same look Arthur held. He overcame his shock much faster than Merlin; however, and began to launch questions at him.

"You knew Merlin had magic?"

"I knew there was a possibility Merlin had magic." The knight clarified. "I figured it was safest for Merlin if I didn't know all the details, so I never tried to pry."

"Why did you never inform me of it?" Arthur asked his newly reinstated knight who answered with a raised eyebrow. Arthur swallowed any further argument forming on his lips. How he had reacted when Merlin told them of his power came to the forefront of his mind and silenced him. It was a terrifying thought, but the young kind wasn't sure if he would have been able to accept Merlin's magic in any other situation. Unfortunately, Arthur did have the tendency to allow his emotions to blind his judgement. Gwaine was the one to get him to realize that they needed Merlin alive simply for the fact that he had kept them from getting axed.

Arthur shuddered to think of what would have happened had Gwaine not been present.

"I wasn't a knight at that point so I didn't have to answer to you." Gwaine paused for a moment as though debating his next words. "And honestly, Merlin was my only friend. I didn't want to see him hurt if my suspicions were correct."

Merlin didn't know how he should react. It was difficult to imagine he had gone this long without knowing that there could have been one more person to confide in. When Lancelot was still alive there was no pressure to be anyone but himself as he knew of his secret and accepted it. Had Gwaine told him then maybe-

No. He was done living in the past. The only thing it had ever procured for Merlin was a nasty headache and a depressed mood.

That didn't mean that Merlin felt any better about the situation.

Gained nudged Merlin's shoulder, drawing his attention. "You alright there, mate?"

Merlin released the breath he forgot he had been holding. "I don't know how _you_ knew and managed to keep it to yourself."

"Plates don't just fly off the shelves all on their own, Merlin." Gwaine laughed and Merlin was brought back to the bar fight where they had met. In all the confusion he had assumed there would be none paying him any notice. A scrawny man hiding behind the bar amongst the chaos of a room filled with drunken flying fists and raucous shouts should have been the least of anyone's concerns. Yet, Gwaine had paid him the attention Merlin fought so hard to be rid of in these times.

"And why would a servant with seemingly no talent whatsoever other than talking back to his master think he would be able to do anything in the Perilous Lands." Gwaine flipped his hair back showing off his shining eyes. "I was damn near convinced of it when that bridge guardian stated magic had arrived as soon as he saw you."

Merlin breathed out a laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't know you heard that."

"I heard him mention something about a trio. He called you magic and me strength." Gwaine sent a cheeky look at Arthur. "I had to assume he called Arthur princess."

Arthur's chest puffed up a bit in pride. "I'll have you know that he called me courage. A title that seems to be quite fitting considering the circumstances we had been under."

Leon held up his hands to stop the trio from talking more on the subject. "Not to get off topic, but the only time you went to the Perilous Lands, Sire, was when you were on your quest- a quest that was supposed to be accomplished completely alone."

"Well, I was alone up until those two idiots found me." Arthur crossed his arms and glared at Gwaine and Merlin. "I had been doing perfectly fine."

Gwaine snorted. "Yeah, you were doing wonderfully." His tone held every bit of sarcasm he could muster. "You would have been wyvern food had Merlin not used his magic on them."

Merlin's head whipped up, remembering how he ordered them away with his dragonlord abilities. A disbelieving laugh shot from his mouth and he shook his head. Merlin couldn't help but feel a swell of gratitude for Gwaine keeping his secret safe.

"Why did you never tell me?"

"I figured if you wanted me to know you would have come to me when you were ready." Gwaine shrugged.

Merlin gave a sad half smile. "I wanted you all to know as soon as we grew to know each other."

"No more dwelling on the past, Merlin." Gwaine said sincerely. "It rarely brings any sort of good."

Merlin nodded in agreement. "I had just been thinking the same thing."

Arthur cleared his throat, drawing the attention to him. "Did you know of Morgana's magic?"

Merlin bit his lip. He knew the topic of Morgana would come about eventually. "Gaius and I watched as it manifested from simply seeing future events in her dreams to uncontrolled spurts of magic during the night."

Arthur cleared his throat. "And Morgana doesn't know about yours?"

He had been wondering this since he had first learned of Merlin's magic. Immediately afterwards, Arthur thought that his manservant was obviously working with her. How could he not when anyone with an ounce of magic seemed to be automatically tied to her evil schemes. As some of the shock wore off and Arthur became more aware that Merlin was in fact still Merlin, he knew that had never been the case. For some inexplicable reason at the time, Merlin was the exception.

Now he knew why.

Merlin shook his head. "And she would become quite dangerous if she did."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Morgana is already dangerous, Merlin."

"I know that, clotpole." Merlin tried to smile, but it took more effort to wear than he would care to admit.

"Then what would prompt her to become even more dangerous?" Arthur's tone was disbelieving and almost cocky. "Because right now, I don't know if she can get any worse."

Merlin's face paled and he seemed to be struggling for anything to say. As much as Arthur knew Merlin had tried to school his features, he had done a shoddy job at it. There was an unnatural tightness in his fists and he seemed forced to take extra effort to look in his eyes. As much as Merlin would fight him on the matter, Arthur was no idiot and could almost always tell when something was bothering the man. Even if he hadn't realized Merlin had magic he ran a bloody kingdom for goodness sake. One could not succeed in doing so if they were an simpleton. There was something about this topic that made Merlin apprehensive to speak outright.

"Are you afraid to tell me something?"

Merlin turned his head to the side to keep himself from having to see Arthur. After several deep breaths that pushed his injuries right up against the soft wrappings, he swallowed his fear.

"I'm not afraid for you to know."

Odd. Arthur had thought that this would have been something that Merlin feared would make him angry or distrustful of him. Arthur would argue the point to his face but the facts remain that Merlin was incredibly brave and not one to back down from anything. The man argued constantly with the king even when he knew that the consequences could be great. If Merlin wasn't afraid to let him know then what was the real reason behind his fear?

"What is it then?"

"I'm afraid that saying it out loud will make it real." Merlin admitted.

"Whatever it is we'll find a way to work passed it, together."

Merlin gave Arthur a fond look that held for several moments before Merlin broke it.

"Emrys is prophesied to be her end."

If asked, Arthur would have no clue how long the room was silent after that. All this time, Arthur had never known the heavy task placed upon his shoulders. The power Merlin held was hidden, tucked away in a slight unassuming frame.

"So you are supposed to be the person to kill my sister?"

He only managed a nod in regards to Arthur's question and the king swallowed the thick information. It was still a bit odd to think that Merlin had magic. It was harder to hear that Merlin would be the one to end Morgana's life.

Merlin had a far away look as he gazed mindlessly past Arthur. He methodically rubbed the wrappings on his as he felt his stomach turn. He never liked the thought of ending anyone's life. "It's not something I like to think about."

"You don't want to kill her."

"I still see the Morgana we knew every damn time I look at her." Merlin took a shaky breath. "She's been gone for years yet it's still the same way."

Arthur knew the feeling. Every time he thought about his sister and her dramatic transformation from a loving and vibrant young woman to a dark cold witch was unsettling, but he couldn't feel hate for her. Arthur yearned to go back in time and help her rather than be oblivious to the entire matter until it was too late.

"It is not naivety to hope she find her way back to us, Merlin." Arthur said in an assuring tone. "Hope was something Morgana gave up on long ago. You may be the one to be her end, but she was her own undoing when she never searched for another way concerning her magic. You were only ever her friend, Merlin."

"I poisoned her." Merlin instantly heard her pained gasps yet again boring into his mind. The look of betrayal as she realized what he had done would always haunt him as the day Morgana flipped entirely to Morgause's side. Perhaps it was why the thought of killing her now sent his head reeling.

Arthur glanced to his knights who looked just as shocked as he felt. "What?"

"She was the anchor for the sleeping spell killing Camelot. By binding the spell with a living vessel it increased its effects. It was why she was never affected."

Arthur remembered the feeling that overcame him when he felt the spell. It had affected him as well as Merlin. Knowing now of Merlin's immense power made the strength of the spell all the more impressive and all the more terrifying.

"She had been working with Morgause by then. Sooner or later her hatred of Uther would have overcome her better judgement. Her choices created who she has become."

Merlin gave what seemed to be a thankful smile at Arthur's words.

A sudden question burned on Arthur's tongue. "How did you know it was Morgana that held the sleeping spell?"

Merlin swallowed as Kilgarrah flashed across his mind. "It was a-a friend." Merlin ended with a pitiful amount of confidence.

Arthur's eyes narrowed calculatingly stopping Merlin from any further explanation. A shamed burnt in his stomach. He was still skirting around questions he knew would have to be inevitably answered.

"The dragon, the one that was imprisoned beneath Camelot, he told me."

"They can talk?" Arthur heard Merlin snort at his surprise and gave him a nod.

"Why did he help you so much if he had nothing to gain?" As Arthur finished his question he watched Merlin blanch yet again. Arthur was edging on an answer he had looked for the years since the Great Dragon escaped.

Who released him?

By the way Merlin was behaving, the answer was sitting in front of him trying very hard not to panic.

"You released him didn't you?"

Merlin looked shamefully away from the group and said, "I swore on my mother's life to free him in exchange for information to stop the sickness."

Arthur clenched his jaw to keep him from saying something he knew he would regret. Running a hand through his hair, he looked to Merlin who had been hesitantly watching him. Before Arthur had a chance to work through what Merlin had said, Leon charged through the silence.

"It was you?" He spat as his features turned into a livid snarl. "You released that monster?"

"Woah Leon," Gwaine began to try to calm the irate knight. "I am sure that Merlin has an explanation for why-"

"You weren't there to fight that thing." Leon cut Gwaine off before he could say anything else. "That creature was responsible for the death of both knights and civilians, not to mention the number of buildings it damaged throughout Camelot."

"Enough." Arthur stated silencing Leon immediately. Arthur understood Leon's reaction. Hell, any of the knights present at that battle would have reacted similarly. Arthur himself was not far from it, but when he looked at Merlin his entire stance flipped. Merlin's arms wrapped around himself and his spine bowed down as though he were trying to make himself as small as possible. Arthur realized that in all his anger he had failed to consider why Merlin had released him. Had Merlin not made the deal they may not be standing here today.

Arthur looked to Leon who seemed to be contemplating protesting Arthur's order. Arthur shook his head as a warning to Leon. Arthur became immensely grateful as his knight remained silent.

"I believe that Merlin was justified."

The weights released Merlin's bowed head and it snapped up like a bow string at Arthur's words. "You do?"

"If the dragon only told you how to save Camelot in exchange for his release then you judged the situation rightly." Arthur paused for a moment to ensure that Leon understood his words as much as Merlin did. Leon reluctantly nodded, and crossed his arms in front of him. Arthur was grateful for it even if he knew the knight held a small grudge for how the battle against the dragon had played out. Both Leon and Arthur had lost many of his friends that day. Discovering that Merlin was the one who facilitated the dragon's tirade was disheartening but validated. "What is done is in the past.

Merlin remained quiet. He was looking down and playing with the edge of a blanket. Arthur felt that Merlin still had more to say on the subject, but for some reason he didn't divulge anymore. Arthur decided to gently press him by saying, "Is there anything else that I should know."

Merlin looked up and Arthur noticed for the first time the weight that Merlin's eyes carried, as though they had seen more than they had ought to.

"Kilgarrah is still alive."

"Is Kilgarrah who I think it is?" Arthur said his stomach sinking.

"That's the name of the great dragon. You never dealt him a mortal wound." Merlin said shamefully. He swallowed thickly. "I- I allowed him to live."

Arthur held his composure even though he felt anger like when he had first discovered Merlin's secret. First Merlin released the monster, then he kept it alive. There couldn't possibly be a valid reason for it.

"Why?" Was the only thing Arthur could say. It was truly remarkable that he was able to stay calm enough to say just that.

"He's the final dragon. I couldn't kill him and live with myself when so many lives had been taken that day. I told him to leave Camelot and if he ever returned that I would kill him myself."

"And he simply listened to you?"

"He had no choice." Merlin swallowed the hard lump in his throat.

Arthur looked dumfounded. "You mean to tell me that your magic is more powerful than that of a dragon's"

Merlin shook his head. "No-" He stopped. Did he have more power than Kilgarrah? It was an absurd thought. His magic did no good against him when he was launching enchanted spears at him, but what of his power?

Merlin didn't know if he wanted an answer to that.

Merlin rubbed the back of his neck as he realized the very long and awkward paused that had ensued after his not so confident answer. Judging by the tight way Arthur had his arms crossed in front of him it had been a few moments to long which forced a quick answer from his lips.

"I didn't overpower him with magic, exactly."

Arthur exhaled forcefully through his nose as he increasingly frustrated. "Then what was it that you did?"

"I ordered him to leave." Merlin said yet again. He was going around in circles and it was doing nothing to quell Arthur's anger. Perhaps he was afraid that telling Arthur this piece would repeat his reaction after he discovered his magic.

Arthur sighed. "Yes, Merlin. We have established that. Why did he listen to you?"

Merlin rushed to say the next words for fear that he wouldn't if he waited. "I'm a dragonlord."

They all stared at shock at Merlin save for Gwaine who laughed in a dumfounded sort of way. "Well, that is definitely something I didn't figure out on my own."

"I am a dragonlord." Merlin said slower as though admitting it to himself for the first time. "It was why I could control the wyvern in that cavern." Merlin scrunched his eyebrows together, momentarily meeting Arthur's gaze, which held a dumfounded expression. Merlin thought back to the stomach turning smell of death that those beasts had brought with each step closer to them. Their ability to fight his control was still a mystery to him. He looked down to his heavily bandaged chest. "Well, I could control it for a little while."

"Then why the hell did you not order him away sooner?" The events that took place years ago came rushing back to Arthur. To this day he bore the scar from the dragon and remembered the slow process it took to heal up until the time he had awoke in Balinor's cave with many of his symptoms alleviated. "You even came with when we wasted time searching for Balinor."

Merlin felt his chest ache at the mention of Balinor and looked at anything but the eyes of those in the room. His father's death was something that he never wanted to think about, but he didn't want to keep anything else from them. He was through with the lies and the secrets that had been hidden by a wall he had put up. It was time to break that barrier.

"You don't understand. I wasn't a dragonlord when we left and Balinor was the last dragonlord at the time. You aren't simply born with the power to command dragons.

"Then pray tell, how do you aquire it?" Arthur asked shortly.

"The ability is passed down from father to the son-" Merlin said looking at his feet. "-at the time of the father's death."

The room was silent. Arthur waited frustratedly for Merlin to continue, but realized that Merlin seemed to have said all that he would. Arthur was about to further question the weary looking man when his eyes widened in realization. If Balinor was the last dragonlord and the ability is passed down from father to son then that would make Merlin-

Damn

Balinor, the man his father had hunted and forced into hiding for the remainder of his life, was Merlin's father.

"When you told Catherine earlier that controlling the wyverns had been a little trick from your father you meant Balinor."

It wasn't a question and Merlin simply nodded in confirmation. He was relived that he didn't have to say it. It was harder than Merlin had expected to talk about his father. Even though Merlin had hardly known the man, speaking about him brought the painful memory of his father jumping in front of the sword so he could live.

"I worried that you wouldn't be able to piece that together in that small brain of yours." Merlin teased without his usual lighthearted nature.

Merlin glanced quickly at Arthur to gauge his reaction at the revelation. Merlin hoped he wouldn't be met with more yelling from him. Looking at his king, Merlin realized that Arthur was taking this worse than expected. His face was contorted into one of pain as though he had been punched in the stomach.

"I told you that no man is worth your tears after your father died in your arms." Arthur said disbelievingly.

"You didn't know he was my father." Merlin rushed to say. "I barely even knew Balinor. He was never a part of my life."

"Because of my father." Arthur snapped. Merlin started at the sudden outburst, but Arthur seemed too wrapped in his thoughts to notice. "My father was the reason that yours had to go into hiding. Uther was the reason that you grew up without Balinor."

Arthur struggled over this realization. He looked to Merlin, but was met by a blank slate. The man was guarded and offered little insight as to what he was feeling.

"How did you support me while I mourned my father."

"Arthur-"

"How could you even look at me?" Arthur stood quickly and began angrily pacing around the room. And stopped suddenly facing away from Merlin. "What did I ever do to deserve your loyalty?"

"You didn't need to do anything." Merlin said in an attempt to calm Arthur's racing thoughts. It helped about the same as Kilgarrah's riddled words of wisdom. Arthur continued to stalk around the room in spite of Merlin's words.

"Just listen to me!" Merlin shouted and his eyes lit up gold. Arthur was stopped in his tracks as he felt his feet stick to the ground. It wasn't as though he could just slide his foot from his boot if he tried. Both feet were stuck mid pace as though the bottom half of him were frozen in time.

"Did you just use magic on me?" Arthur asked slowly, looking over his shoulder as his feet still refused to pick themselves up. He saw that Merlin's arm was still raised after directing his power at Arthur. He looked nearly as surprised he had used magic as Arthur felt.

"It's hardly the first time." Merlin lowered his hand suddenly and dropped the spell, nearly sending Arthur tipping over. It had done its job and effectively silenced him. As Arthur regained his footing, Merlin continued. "You can execute me later, but you need to listen to me. I stayed by your side all those years because I knew you would make a good king as you matured. I knew you were a good man that was the type of person I wanted to serve- that I wanted to use my gifts for. Most of all, I stayed because you're my friend, Arthur."

Arthur gave a sad smile. "I was hardly any good at it."

"I never thought that way." Merlin's eyes shown the honesty that could finally be expressed after being forced to stay hidden behind the veil dictating the roles they were destined to play in Camelot.

"If I couldn't recognize the atrocities playing out around me how could I even hope to make amends to the people I persecuted."

The room was silent, causing Arthur's stomach to drop. Could he even begin to hope for anybody to see him as anything more than a continuation of his father's legacy?

"A wise king once told me that mistakes themselves do not define who we are, instead we are defined by our actions after we realize the mistake."

Arthur looked to Merlin's sincere stare and sighed to ease the pain he felt in his chest. "That must have been one wise king."

Merlin smiled fondly. "He definitely is."

Merlin suddenly looked towards the door. Arthur followed his gaze and found nothing. When he looked back to Merlin was staring at him.

"Sarah and several other healers would like to come it."

Arthur stared dumbfounded before remembering Merlin's weird mind connection to the Druids. "Very well, we can finish this when we return to Camelot."

Merlin smiled and closed his eyes momentarily. Not one moment later did four healers entered the room. Sarah was at the head of the group who's members seemed weighed down with exhaustion. Arthur saw her stern face brighten as she looked at the group. At least Arthur figured it was the case as her tightly held lips that were seemingly always downturned straightened slightly.

"How are you feeling?" Sarah asked with a slight bow of her head.

Merlin gave her a smile and returned the bow respectfully. "Quite well, considering the circumstances."

Sarah acknowledged his statement with a nod, but she was staring directly at Arthur. Arthur nodded back to her, remembering her words to him the previous night. Somehow this woman sensed the change among them and was able to flawlessly interpret it.

"Indeed, you seem to be doing just as you say. I only wish this was not the second time you visited my infirmary. You must know your physician in Camelot very well."

Merlin fought a smirk. "I know him well for a different reason, but he too has implied similarly."

"I apologize that we have had to postpone your healing. If you insist upon it we can finish it so as to facilitate the remainder of your stay as well as your return to Camelot.

One look at each of their tired bodies had Merlin shaking his head adamantly. "I'm not going to be the cause of any of you overexerting your magic. You each had to attend to more people than you probably ought to have."

"Couldn't you provide the power, Merlin?" Arthur asked which directed the healer's attention intimidatingly to him. Obviously, Arthur was one of the last people to be able to question the expertise of a healer. The question had popped out of his mouth before he thought to stop it. Merlin raised an eyebrow at him which had Arthur grappling for a confident explanation of his question.

"I don't doubt that you are terrible at healing spells," Arthur said with a smirk. Merlin on the other hand scoffed as Arthur continued. "But if there is a possibility of diverting one's magic inside a gem to power the enchantments for the complex then why would it be any different for a person? Can you simple allow them to heal you using your own magic?"

Sarah smiled. "That could be quite possible. I have heard of such things taking place; however, I worry that it might put too much strain on his magic."

"My body is what is weak right now, not my magic. Healing magic is not something I can do instinctively or else I wouldn't be in this position." Merlin admitted.

Sarah stared at Merlin as though trying to catch him in a lie before she nodded. "Alright, we'll give it a chance."

Sarah and the healers began to draw closer to Merlin while Arthur and the knights allotted more room by stepping to the side. Gwaine began to slowly stand to move out of the way when he was stopped by Sarah's surprisingly gentle hand on his injured leg.

"Sir Gwaine, you might as well stay there so we can heal you as well. We have two birds and only one key to release them with."

Gwaine nodded understandingly and remained where he was. One of the healers directed his attention to Gwaine while the others remained next to Merlin with Sarah standing directly in front of him. "Hold out your hand and draw your power as you did with the crystal."

Merlin nodded and immediately called his power to just beneath his skin. He felt his power tingle beneath his palms. Sarah held his hand while the healer for Gwaine rested his hand upon his knee. The other healers rested their hands upon his shoulders and began to draw from his power while they chanted the spell in unison.

 _"Þurhhæle dolgbenn"_

A gasp escaped his lips as he felt an odd sensation across the slashes. His skin felt as though it were knitting itself back together. Typically whenever he was injured and saved by Kilgarrah he wouldn't be conscious for his healing magic. The feeling stopped and Merlin felt the healers release him.

The young man who had been holding his shoulder took a step away in shock. "I will never know how it is possible for that much power to be contained within one man."

Merlin smiled sheepishly and pulled up under a section of poorly secured wrappings. "It seemed to have worked."

"Are you in any more pain?" Arthur asked hopefully.

"Not nearly as much as I was before." Merlin responded cheerfully. "Thank you all so much."

Sarah, who seemed to be much less tired, gave him a small bow. "You did just as much as we did. If it is not too forward of me, I would like to offer you training within the healing branch of magic. You would pick up quite fast, I am sure of it."

"I would greatly appreciate that." Merlin beamed and went to stand up. It was too much for him as the pain returned. Steady hands kept him from falling forward and instead brought him back to the edge of his bed.

"How could you have thought that would be a good idea?" Arthur asked rhetorically. "I don't think they healed the blood loss."

"I'll be fine, besides, I am more eager to walk around this place than I am to memorize each of their infirmaries."

Arthur held up a stern finger. "If you hurt yourself further, Merlin-"

Arthur left the threat open as if he thought he could instill a sense of fear into Merlin. Rather, Merlin ignored Arthur entirely, save for an eye role, and directed his attention to a pile of neatly folded white garments. A quick flash of his eyes was all it took to have it zooming into his hands. He carefully pulled it over his head, popping his arms through the holes gingerly before finally pulling it down to cover his torso. Had Arthur not known about Merlin's injuries, he would have thought him to be perfectly fine.

Sarah made her way to the door. "I can send for some clothes for you so you don't have to walk around in our clothing meant for infirmary patients."

"Don't bother." Arthur said. He removed the padded red jacket he wore under his chainmail, which Elyan had helped him removed a few hours ago for the sake of comfort. Arthur was left in his simple black shirt as he draped it across Merlin's shoulders. All he received in return was a stare from Merlin.

"If I had known it would take _that_ to make you speechless I would have done it ages ago." Arthur laughed.

"I can't take this, Arthur." Merlin began to shrug off the expensive fabric until Arthur stopped him by grasping his shoulder.

"I'm not doing this for you." Arthur stated in the midst of Merlin's analytical stare. "It's because I would hate for those poor druids to continually have to make you new clothing just for you to ruin it. It puts my mind at ease knowing that you will be the one fixing this if something is to soil it."

Merlin felt the soft fabric and cleared his throat. Arthur was lying, but he ignored it, opting to instead slip his arms through the warm sleeves. The jacket fit loosely around his slight frame and gapped near the shoulders, but it seemed to not be terribly noticeable. "It is a tad large, though I guess I should have expected that."

Arthur growled and stood. "There's just no pleasing you sometimes."

That brought a smirk to Merlin's face as he no doubt remembered it as one of his own complaints towards Arthur. The king fought to keep his face neutral, if not a bit disdainful, but it cracked into a smile like it did so often as he continued staring at Merlin. He grabbed hold of Merlin's forearm, gently pulling him upright and wrapped it around his own torso to keep him from toppling over. When he knew Merlin did have enough strength for the walk they began making their way to the hall, but before they had taken two steps, Arthur stopped in his tracks, forcing Merlin to halt as well.

"What is it?"

"I forgot to ask earlier. What the hell is up with that once and future king nonsense? It is just a story right?"

Merlin blinked twice before rubbing his forehead with his free hand. "Did you not pay any attention to Catherine the other night at dinner?"

Arthur's stomach twisted as he remembered how he had reacted after discovering Merlin's magic. "I may have been a bit distracted with other priorities at the time."

Merlin sighed. This would be a fun topic of discussion. Would Arthur even accept that he is really this foretold king? One glance at Arthur and Merlin realized that in all the years he had known Arthur, he had never been more ready to learn about his role.

Merlin debated whether or not they should sit down again or not, but they continued walking while Merlin spoke. "Well- there's this prophesy."


	12. Chapter 12

Albion would have had a nice ring to it had it not sounded so damn terrifying.

According to Merlin, Arthur was supposed to bring this wonderful land about. The only problem was he had no idea how the _hell_ he would accomplish that. One kingdom was hard enough to keep under control and peaceful. Working with four others that each held varying levels of trust for Camelot would be damn near impossible. Even if the kingdoms were to get along how would they be able to work passed the feuds that would inevitably break out among the local lords who ruled outside the realm of the kingdoms, but held too much influence to eliminate.

And then there was Morgana and magic users like her. A simple apology would not ease the years they had to boil in their hatred of Camelot. Nothing in Arthur's power would change their minds. As Arthur readjusted his grip on Merlin, who seemed to be on the verge of wiggling out of his grasp to walk on his own, he was suddenly struck with the memory of Merlin stopping Catherine and the other Druids from executing him and the knights right on the spot. Apparently that was where Merlin with all of his awkwardness and quirks fit into the story. Merlin would be the voice for peace between the kingdoms and magic. Knowing this there was no way Arthur could hide Merlin's potential in the confines of a servant.

The thought made Arthur audibly chuckle. He wouldn't have realized any sound left his mouth had Merlin not shot him and odd look. However, Merlin remained oddly quiet as he had been throughout the walk. He typically would have joined in with whatever main conversation was going on at the time. Currently, Gwaine was heading the discussion by shooting all sorts of questions at the poor frazzled healer leading them through the complex while Leon, Elyan, or Percival would throw in their own every once in a while.

It seemed Arthur was not the only one thinking about the complexities life had yet to throw at them.

"We've come a long way in just the past day alone." Arthur's voice was just loud enough for Merlin to hear.

"We have indeed." A quiet confidence was held in his tone. "And we will continue to go farther as we move on from here together."

Arthur felt a swell of appreciation. Merlin always knew how to keep Arthur's head the proper size with his bashing insults, but he also seemed to know the right things to say at the right time. Whenever Arthur was at his lowest, Merlin would be right there to offer him a hand up. Even now after Merlin had told him of his place in Albion, Arthur knew his friend would always be there for him.

They stopped in front a simple door which was decorated with more runes. The healer gave a slight inclination of his head before turning and walking quickly away. Merlin was staring at the symbols to the right of the door that were an indistinguishable language to Arthur, but seemed to mean something to Merlin. His long fingers traced the oddly shaped letters. Merlin realized that Arthur was staring at him and looked slightly flustered.

"It's the language of the old religion."

Arthur cocked his head. "Can you read it?"

Merlin nodded. "It's just Catherine's name."

Arthur figured that made sense. They had yet to see Catherine's quarters as their tour of the complex had been cut short by savage wyverns. Arthur rapped upon the door three times. Not two moments passed before there was a reply. Catherine's voiced muffled from beyond the door beckoned them inside.

Catherine was sitting surrounded by a pile of papers. He was immediately struck with a memory of his father sitting much the same way she was currently. Her head was resting upon her hand as she stared intently at the text. She slowly looked up. When her eyes stopped on their group they widened slightly. A smile expanded on her face, unlike what his father's expression would have been if he had interrupted him whilst he was busy.

"Well this is a surprise." She stood and extended her arms indicating them to enter. Arthur saw her eyes flash towards his tight grip upon Merlin. It seemed to not escape her notice that there was a certain camaraderie between all of them that had not been present until now. "I thought that I could fit in some work before I came to visit you, but it seems like you won the race. Are you doing well?"

Merlin nodded. "I apologize if we caught you at a bad time."

"There is never a bad time for any of you to visit." Catherine said. She stared at Arthur who got the message. She truly wanted him to know that he was included within her sentiment. "These are my quarters." She pointed to the left of them at another set of doors. "Through those doors are my sleeping quarters. I wanted to be able to leave the stress of my job behind at the end of the day. Blocking where I relax from where I conduct my work was the best way to do that."

Arthur shifted on his feet. Even with her openness towards him, he felt a bit hesitant to talk to her. "I know I oftentimes bring the stress of ruling Camelot to bed. The thoughts can keep me up well into the late hours of the night."

Catherine smiled to acknowledge his statement. "Leading can be a tiring endeavor but one that has to be done by someone." Her eyes flashed to the man Arthur was still gripping. "I thought that Sarah would require you to remain for observation."

"No disrespect to your healers, but I feel like I am fine enough to finish the tour we started without interruptions this time." Merlin succeeded in finally wiggling out of Arthur's grasp. "Besides, this prat won't let me be more than a foot away from him at a time."

Arthur scoffed. "It's not that I think you're not well enough to walk, I just know you well enough to not trust you."

Merlin's eyebrows arched. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're an incredibly clumsy idiot who can barely put one foot in front of the other without ending up on the ground. The last thing we need is for you to reopen your wounds."

"I wasn't the one who caused us all to fall through the ground though. That's all on you and your extra servings of dinner."

Arthur smirked and gave Merlin a quick slap across the back of his head out of habit. Merlin jerked hastily and out of habit so Arthur just missed the back of his head. Suddenly, he grimaced and gripped his chest. Arthur immediately grabbed hold of his arm gently to keep him standing.

"Merlin, are you alright?" Arthur asked in a concerned manner. His worry intensified when he got no reply.

"Answer me. Are you al-" Arthur was cut off as he heard a small laugh. Merlin straightened up with a smile while gingerly holding his chest.

"I'm fine, Arthur." Merlin said regaining his composure. "It's nothing."

"This was a bad idea. You should have stayed in bed." Arthur chastised. Merlin rolled his eyes.

"The pain already passed. I must have twisted awkwardly." Merlin said reassuringly. "I'll visit a healer later so they can finish their treatment."

Arthur gave him a skeptical look to which Merlin responded with a grin.

"Honestly Arthur, I am fine."

Arthur snorted at Merlin's pathetic excuse. "If that happens one more time before then you will go straight to the healers without an argument."

"Since when did you begin to care?" Merlin asked sarcastically.

Arthur straightened up and matched Merlin's sarcastic tone. "The same time I found out you actually aren't as useless as you made out to be."

"That almost hurts more than my injuries." Merlin replied feigning being upset and clutching heartbrokenly at his chest. He put on a small pout which Arthur raised an eyebrow to as if daring him to continue.

"If you would allow it, my lords, we can finish going through the main square while its still a decent hour." Catherine's words broke their test of wills. Arthur saw a real smile in her eyes. Catherine had been one of the driving forces for getting Arthur to see some sense when it came to Merlin. Of course she would be pleased to discover that they had indeed worked passed their differences.

"Yes, of course." Arthur said. "I apologize for allowing Merlin to keep us waiting."

Merlin simply rolled his eyes again at that statement, saving his counter for another time.

They followed Catherine as she lead them through the halls and back to the large courtyard. Merlin's tree swayed back and forth magically in the windless room. The heads of those they passed dipped respectfully before returning back to their own dealings. Several small stands in the market place offering food or other handmade goods were dotted around the space. The more they continued on their tour the more Arthur was shocked at the sheer immensity of this complex. He could actually take in the sheer wonder that magic helped them create without feeling a hatred towards it.

How could he have ever missed this before today?

"The spells which light our complex reflect that of the actual sun." Catherine gestured towards what looked very much like a candelabra hanging high above their heads. The only difference was the amount of light produced by it. Not even ten of Camelot's most extensive fixtures would come close to matching it. "They will dim when the night begins and brighten as a new day forms. It helps us to keep a stableness with when we ought to be sleeping."

Arthur frowned. A surge of anger for his and his father's actions overcame him. He remembered that Catherine had mentioned it had been several months since she had left and that some of the children had never seen the sun because of the great purge.

He had to change that.

"When we return to Camelot I will immediately set about repealing the laws banning magic. You and your children have been in the dark for too long."

Catherine stopped in her tracks She turned around in disbelief to stare at Arthur. Arthur smiled at her reaction and glanced to see Merlin in a similar state. It was as though time had stopped for both of them and the only indication they were still present was the rising and falling of their chests.

"Well, I can't have my newest council member practicing illicit activities and allow it for only him." Arthur said nudging Merlin.

"Council member?" Merlin gaped.

Arthur smirked. "You honestly believed that I would keep you as just my manservant after all you've done for me and Camelot? Laws will need to be rewritten concerning magic and seeing as you are this great Emrys I figured that you can't mess it up _that_ bad."

Merlin looked away ignoring Arthur's jab and shook his head.

"I've made so many mistakes, Arthur. I don't deserve th-"

"Stop," Arthur interrupted in a commanding tone that was still light. "I can think of no one else who deserves this more than you. Besides, before now I couldn't name any one with magic who was willing to protect Camelot." Arthur nodded his head slightly to Catherine. "Now we have an entire city of sorcerers that believe in me because of what you have done."

Merlin grinned at Arthur and laughed disbelievingly. "You're probably going to regret this at some point."

Arthur responded with a light punch in the arm being mindful of his injuries. "Probably."

"And Catherine," Arthur said turning to the still silent woman. "You and your people will be welcome in Camelot as soon as Merlin here has sorted out all the details of the laws and whatnot. I know that it can never replace what has been lost over the past decades, but I will set about with reparations for those who have been harmed because of my mistakes."

"Your acceptance of magic will be enough for most people." She grabbed his hands which nearly made Arthur jump at the suddenness of her exchange. Her eyes were moist. "I feared the day when magic was allowed back would never come."

Catherine released his hands after a moment. Arthur gestured for her to continue on with the tour, which she did, glowing all the while. She began describing how the complex was set up. The people's living quarters branched off from the center of the complex at the main square. The food and goods were shared amongst the people. The children ran around without fear of strangers as there were none. There were dozens of families who lived here. Those who came without families found new ones within those living here. Catherine explained that there were over two hundred who lived there and that new comers were always being added.

Arthur could barely stand the thought of if his father had found this place.

"If you don't mind me asking my dear Catherine, is there a place a knight can get a drink around here?" Gwaine asked in his charming voice that hinted to anything but his love for cider.

"Yes. A couple decided a few years ago that we were lacking in a social gathering place. One where people can relax so they built the tavern." Catherine smiled proudly. "It is quite a popular place."

"I think that a drink would do us all good." Arthur said much to the delight of Gwaine. "Then this dollophead can stop nearly fainting every two minutes and sit down for a while."

"Oi!" Merlin remarked at the insult. "What is with you and using my insults?"

"Merlin, I am your king and I am entitled to use any sort of language I want."

"Are you also entitled to being an ass?"

Arthur's eyes narrowed but he ignored Merlin's jab for the idiot's own sake and resisted the urge to shove him. "I chose your insult in the hopes that you might just understand what I am saying."

"I think I preferred when you thought that I was just an idiot manservant." Merlin said sarcastically as they began following Catherine who was leading them to the tavern.

"I will always think of you as an idiot so don't you worry." Arthur said giving Merlin a slight nudge with his elbow.

"Well, if I were you I would stop thinking about it. You wouldn't want to strain the least used part of you body. It might give you a headache." Merlin teased.

Arthur scoffed but didn't respond. They had arrived to the tavern. Unlike the other businesses in the marketplace, this tavern had been built directly into the tunnel wall which created a separate place from the rest of their society. It was similar to his and the knight's favorite back in Camelot. A long wooden bar stretch itself across the width of the room and there were many tables. Its stone floors shined and candelabras like the one in the main square lit every corner of the room. It seemed nothing like the taverns Arthur stopped at on long journeys where there would was worry about rats scurrying around their feet or food that was days passed its time.

The atmosphere was far from the raucous taverns the land surrounding Camelot held. It almost had a calming effect even with the many people bustling about while laughing and having an all around good time. Men and women alike were smiling while enjoying each other's company.

As soon as the group following Catherine entered completely the noise dropped to silence.

"Good evening to you all." She said politely. Ignoring the stares of everyone in the bar Catherine walked confidently through the tavern towards an unoccupied table big enough to hold all of them. Merlin shifted awkwardly under their gazes as they walked by and tried to mimic the confident attitude that Arthur was portraying. His head was held high and he seemed to not be focused on anything but the table they were being led to.

Arthur was used to being stared at and handled it like the king he was. Merlin was used to following him in his shadow. Nobody usually cared about him, but here it was different. Everyone noticed him for being Emrys and he was feeling the stress from the constant attention. Merlin nervously pulled Arthur's jacket tighter around himself. How Arthur could put up with this every day boggled Merlin's mind. The thought made him respect Arthur even more.

Catherine sat at a table away from the majority of the people. Merlin pulled out a chair for Arthur, falling back into the habit of being his servant. Arthur noticed and smirked slightly. He walked right passed Merlin and pulled out his own chair to sit in.

"Merlin, you're no longer my manservant and I am quite capable of getting my own chair."

Merlin's bit his lip as he took the chair for himself. "I thought you were going to wait until we were back in Camelot to sack me."

"Only you would complain about being reappointed a position that one has to typically be born into. You really are not making a very good impression as a newly appointed court member." Arthur jabbed Merlin's arm. "You should really clean up your act before I change my mind."

Merlin smirked at Arthur's words. He was still reeling over everything that had happened. Arthur had accepted his magic and he was going to legalize it.

If that wasn't a reason to celebrate Merlin didn't know what was.

A smiling short plump woman with round rosy cheeks approached the table they were sitting at. In her arms she balanced a tray with seven empty tankards. She placed them at the middle of the table and gave a slight bow in their direction before turning to Catherine.

"What will it be?" She asked with a grin that spread passed her rosy cheeks.

"We will have your best brew please." Catherine requested politely. "And you can put it on my tab if that would be alright."

The woman's eyes shot to Merlin and Arthur before responding with a wide grin.

"Don't you worry about it, Catherine. It's on the house."

Catherine nodded in appreciation and the woman's eyes flashed a bright gold after she had uttered a spell. The seven mugs filled with the amber colored liquid.

Gwaine's eyes bulged.

"Merlin you ought to either learn that spell or teach me some magic so I can do it myself."

Merlin snorted as Gwaine downed half his tankard in one go. "That's all Camelot needs, Gwaine with an unlimited supply of alcohol."

Gwaine lowered his glass. In his eyes was the twinkle he oftentimes gained whilst in the presence of his friends.

"I can see it now." Gwaine spread his hands ostentatiously in front of him. "Merlin would be out of his new job within a week as everyone's concerns about magic being permitted and warring over land or power would be a thing of the past. My name would go down in history as the greatest peacemaker of all time. "

Arthur smirked into his tankard. "Perhaps getting rid of Merlin's job would be doing me a favor, Gwaine."

Arthur was met by a very pointed glare from a seemingly ticked off sorcerer.

Arthur nudged Merlin's shoulder and raised his glass directly towards Merlin's still full one. "Come on, Merlin, you haven't even touched your mead. You're no fun whatsoever."

"There's a reason that you've never seen me drunk, Arthur." Merlin answered laughing.

"Alright then," The king gestured with his hand for Merlin to continue. "Would you care to elaborate on that or do I even want to know?"

"Will and I got a bottle of my mother's ale once." Merlin smiled fondly at the memory.

Gwaine's head perked up and his eyes left the giggling woman sitting across the room. "I can't even imagine a drunk adult Merlin let alone a wee little one. You must have smelt the alcohol and became intoxicated."

Merlin scowled and shook his head but continued regardless of the teasing. "We hid in the barn and took turns drinking from it. We got- very drunk to say the least. My magic couldn't be properly controlled in that state and I nearly collapsed the roof on us. The cows were spooked and wouldn't give up any milk for a week. My mother was livid." Merlin paused in his story while the others chortled slightly.

"Now that I think about it that day might have been one of the reasons she decided to send me off to Camelot in the first place."

The atmosphere between them became stiff. Each had been curious as to why Merlin had come to Camelot when he would have been executed for simply existing.

"Why did your mother send you to Camelot of all places?" Arthur asked. Merlin would have had no one to advocate for himself were he to get in trouble, magical or not. Just Merlin's existence was against the law in Camelot. It seemed to be be the last place someone like him should be sent.

"She hoped Gaius would help me control my magic. It was growing faster than she would have ever been able to deal with on her own. That had been one of the first times I think I truly scared my mother and I had only been thirteen years of age at the time. There had been other closed calls where my mother feared the villagers would discover my magic and report it to Cendred's men. As Gaius had been a former sorcerer she hoped he would be able to guide me." He smirked as he looked at his tankard. "I guess that where destiny took over and stuck me as the manservant of a prat."

It was Arthur's turn to glare at Merlin as the others laughed. A sudden thought sobered Arthur.

"Did you only stay by my side because of destiny?"

Merlin bit his lip as if contemplating his answer. "Only at first. I had no idea why I was given so much power so when I was told that it was because of you I was-"

Merlin trailed off. Arthur remembered the feeling when his father had promoted the frustratingly insolent boy that had been brave enough to talk back to the king's son to be his personal manservant of all things.

"You were just as excited to be my manservant as I was to have _you_ of all people working for me." Arthur finished for him. Merlin smirked and shook his head at the memory of their first few encounters.

"You were downright dreadful to work for the first couple of weeks, you know that Arthur? I barely completed my chores everyday _with_ the help of my magic."

"You would cheat on you chores?" Arthur asked incredulously. He really shouldn't be surprised after all.

Merlin gave a look that he must have learned from Gaius. His eyebrow was raised well beyond where it normally rested. "With all the work you assigned you should be happy that it got done at all."

Arthur crossed his arms in front of him and rolled his eyes. "If I was so horrible what did I ever do to make you stay?"

"It wasn't anything spectacular, really, I just felt whole when I was with you." Merlin's gaze seemed locked on something that was not present in the room, as though memories were dancing across his vision and if he stopped looking he would lose sight of them. He blinked and cleared his throat. Glancing to Arthur quickly he sighed. "I must sound like a pining girl."

"I'm surprised you said it before I did." Merlin scoffed while the others laughed. Arthur didn't join in the laughter. Instead he sat and stared at the complex man beside him. "As odd as this might sound coming from me, I understand what you're referring to. After you came to Camelot I felt as though a void had been filled that I didn't know needed filling."

"Two sides of the same coin." Catherine whispered as though in awe.

Merlin smiled. "You wouldn't be the first one to say that."

There was a pause in their conversation, one that Gwaine noticed and took advantage of.

"Well," Gwaine began eyeing up the mead barrel. He raised his hand signaling to the tavern keeper. "Now that that's over I think I'll just-"

Percival grabbed Gwaine's hand and lowered it efficiently to the table before his message had been seen. "I think you've had enough for today."

"But I've been to taverns across the lands," Gwaine began dramatically. "And not once has it been one that was entirely underground."

"I"m sure you'll have another chance someday." Elyan assured.

Catherine nodded. "Indeed. I believe that you are all more than welcome here, especially as ties form more steadily between my people and Camelot."

Merlin smiled and looked around the room. He recognized several of the nameless faces and also saw the man who sat by at dinner the previous night. If he remembered correctly his name was Steven. Catching Merlin's eye, the man waved excitedly at him before returning to the conversation he was having with two others. He did, however, point Merlin's way when chatting with his cohorts. Merlin smiled. The man had been terribly conversational when they had been at dinner. They had discussed magic in depth and it had shocked Merlin to realize how little he actually knew when it came to magic. It was understandable as he had little real contact with anything but the book Gaius had secretly gifted him. It was the whole of his formal knowledge of magic. The people in this complex had generations of knowledge at their disposal.

The group approached their table and bowed their heads respectfully.

"Catherine, my dear, it seems the company you are keeping may be more interesting than my own." Steven said with a warm smile. A woman with shoulder length hair rolled her eyes and set her gaze upon Catherine.

"I would beg to differ. Anne has quite a lot to say in manners of all sorts. I would have thought she could have kept you of all people talking for hours on end."

The woman in question smirked. "What better way is there to keep things interesting whilst we live here?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Merlin saw Arthur's entire body tense. Merlin looked to see what the matter was and saw that Arthur was sitting straight up in his chair as though poised to jump up at any given moment. His hand rested upon the grip of his sword in anticipation of the potential need for it. Merlin followed Arthur's gaze which had quickly turned into a glare until it landed on the person Arthur seemed so eager to attack.

Merlin nearly gasped as he saw the man who had lead the attack on them in the caves, Markus. He had also been the man to fight so adamantly against him when his friends had been on trial. Markus' gaze was cold as he glared into the eyes of the man he had entered with. They seemed to be caught up in a heated discussion with his voice continually growing louder. His friend grabbed a hold of his shoulder, but Markus violently shrugged out of it. He straightened his black jacket that Merlin noted the guards wore and turned to glare at him.

"How can the mighty Emrys sit there in support of that monster after all he has done to our people?"

The question was not meant to be answered. It had been a jab at him and Arthur who seemed entirely out of sorts. Arthur was typically the kind to not back down from a fight, but Merlin knew his king had weighed the risks. There was no time for Arthur to get angry at the bitter assaults when he was there to change people's opinion of him. Merlin watched the man's friend try to pull him away from the bar, whispering in his ear as if trying to diffuse the situation, but it only made him angrier.

"I will not relax here while that murderer sits near us." He shouted heatedly and took a threatening step forward.

"Markus!" Catherine shouted, halting any further movement from the man. The entire atmosphere changed. The way that Catherine led the people was in a familial way and Merlin knew that it was not often she asserted her rule over the people who had chosen her to lead them. "I believe that is quite enough. Now, if you are not able to behave in a civil manner around our guests then please leave our vicinity."

The man glared at Catherine viciously before turning on his heal and stomping out of the tavern while wide eyed men and woman sat by trying very hard to pretend they had not been listening to the entire conversation.

Steven put a friendly hand on Catherine's shoulder. "I will go try to talk to Markus."

Catherine nodded her appreciation. She gripped his hand gently before releasing it. "Thank you, Steven."

The fire from the argument still rested in her eyes as her attention returned back to them. It extinguished quickly as a sigh broke from her lips. "I apologize for his behavior. It was entirely unjustified."

Arthur reached for her hand and gripped it. Her hand was tensed tightly. "There is no need to apologize for his actions as they are by no means out of place. I hope that one day I will be a leader they deserve, much as you have been.

Cathrine's eyes flickered towards Merlin for a moment before turning her gaze to the hand which Arthur held. She placed her free one upon his after a moment and squeezed gently, all her tension leaving in one moment.

"My son would have been between both of your ages." Catherine breathed deeply for a moment, steadying her rocking voice. "I would hope that he would have been as just and kind as the two of you are."

Arthur was struck by the sentiment. He had never known the loving hand of a mother and his father had often been distant due to the formalities he was now burdened with as king. Catherine gave him a knowing smile at his lack of reply. She stood from the table as all of them but Merlin had finished their drinks. They followed her as she made her exit.

"I'll have someone draw up a bath for each of you to wash before dinner."

"Thank you Catherine." Merlin said. He would very much so appreciate being able to have a proper washing. His wounds may be disappearing, but the residual remedies did not. His entire body smelled as if he had taken every single herb from Gaius' work table and smeared it on him. He knew that he had to be careful to not break any of the areas that could still be at risk of opening, but he longed to feel warm water reaching for his aching limbs.

As they continued walking Merlin caught a glimpse at Steven who was still trying to talk some sort of sense into Markus. He couldn't make out any of the words Steven was saying, but by how Markus looked, Merlin would bet that he wasn't taking any of it to heart. Markus' eyes shot to Merlin and narrowed. He shoved passed Steven, slamming his shoulder into him and stalked off in the opposite direction. Steven caught Merlin's gaze and sent a small smile that failed to reach his eyes and shook his head before returning to the tavern.

It was a sobering thought that even though Arthur's position had switched it was not the only obstacle that had to be overcome. For years Merlin had nearly panicked at the thought that Arthur could discover his magic. Now he feared that it had selfishly taken precedence over the needs of magic users.

A flutter of worry bubbled in his stomach. Had Merlin been wrong to stay by Arthur's side silently waiting for the right time to tell him of his magic when there had been so many suffering while they waited for him to save them or had he done the right thing in abandoning them until now?

He didn't know if either answer would make him feel better.


	13. Chapter 13

Catherine had seen them off to the bathing rooms giving the instructions that they were to be mindful of how the water was used.

As they opened the door, Merlin's stomach flopped. Standing in their way was none other than Sarah. Her stern glare bored into him and her arms were crossed in front of herself. He knew that bathing with his injuries as they were would have had Gaius cleaning out his leech tank, but at the time he didn't give a damn. He smelled horribly and was as sticky as when he had woken up in the pile of horse dung with the amount of ointments they had applied to his skin.

Gwaine clapped his hand on Merlin's shoulder. "We'll see you in there." The knight glanced once more at Sarah and shook his head with a small laugh leaving his lips. "Maybe."

Merlin scowled at Gwaine, but him and the knights continued on. Only Arthur remained, standing at his side.

"Are you going to finish his healing?" He asked almost eagerly. The king's eyes were failing to hold their stoic indifference he had been trained to display towards his subjects or members of the court. Merlin nearly smiled at the irony and he probably would have had it not been for Sarah's intimidating stare. After years of fearing magic and those who possessed it, Arthur Pendragon wanted to see a healing spell.

"That and I was planning to make sure he did not injure himself further, Sire." She said before turning back on Merlin. "I supposed it slipped your mind that bathing could stall your healing. You could have reopened your wounds to an infection."

Merlin shrugged sheepishly. "I was going to be careful."

"I think we can safely say that when it comes to your own health and well being you are far from 'careful.'"

Arthur took this time to step forward despite the look Merlin shot at him. "If Merlin can't bathe than we ought to send him to the surface so his odor doesn't force us all out."

"Unfortunately, my duties as his healer would require me to continue to monitor his progress even if he was forced to leave so I am undoubtedly stuck with him." Sarah said playing off of Arthur's insult.

"Are the two of you done or-" Merlin let the sentence trail off into nothing, not needing to finish his statement. Sarah gave him a curt nod and moved over to him. The ghost of a smile seemed to play on her lips, but was immediately replaced with a firm line as she held out her hand. He reached for it gently.

Merlin repeated what he had done earlier that day much easier than before. He drew his power to the palm of his hand as Sarah whispered the incantation. As soon as her lips stilled he felt his power leave him momentarily only for it to fill once more. Compared to when his wounds were still fresh and a healing spell was the equivalent of magically stitching his flesh back together, this was nothing. Now he felt a nearly unbearable itching sensation which was followed by immediate relief. Sarah released his hand and stepped away while Merlin took a moment to collect himself. He breathed in slowly and deeply in order to quell his invigorated magic that still sparked under his fingertips. Allowing such concentrated amount of power out sent a pleasant buzzing throughout his body. A smile of contentment graced his lips at the feeling before he was drawn back to the matters at hand.

"I would like to check under your bandages." The words seemed like a request, but coming from Sarah Merlin took it as an order. He immediately reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled upwards, slowly at first to test how he felt. When he pulled it over his head without so much as a pinch of pain he knew the only thing they would be seeing is scarring. Sarah's well practiced hand worked at the edge of the bandages wrapping around his torso and unwound it gently until it was just his bare skin. He looked down onto his own chest and felt elated when he saw what had been bleeding lacerations were now light colored scars.

Sarah's critical gaze kept him where he stood as she continued to examine him. Her careful assessment was not foreign to him. He was used to the thorough process a physician takes with their patients from living with Gaius and watching him work on others as well as experiencing it firsthand. Gaius was never one to be rushed at his job. Merlin was nearly certain Sarah would give him more than a signature eyebrow raise if he were to say anything to quicken her process. She prodded the edges and centers of the scars on his front and glanced every so often for a reaction before she moved to his back.

All the while, Arthur stood by watching critically. The young king caught Merlin's gaze and sent him a look he typically reserved for long council meetings when a lord would drawl about an arbitrary subject for seemingly hours on end. Merlin sent him the usual goofy grin in response. Arthur smiled at the ease of their silent conversation which had developed over the course of many years and many council meetings Merlin had served during.

"Did any of that hurt?" She asked coming back around to the front and scanning his face critically for any sign of deceit.

Merlin shook his head.

"Then I will leave you to your washing." A pointed finger shot up menacingly near his face. Merlin's eyes nearly crossed with how close she held it to his eyes. "I don't want to see you again until dinner so I would suggest that you take care."

Merlin nodded and his eyes followed her as she left the room. A stiff breath pushed from his nose as he tried to relieve the tension he felt whenever the intense healer was around him.

A sudden hand clapped on his bare shoulder without warning causing him to start. "Gaius almost seems laid-back compared to her."

Merlin chuckled lightly and felt a small appreciation for his mentor. "Tell me about it."

"Although she seems to be fond of a hobby of mine."

"Insulting a person is not a hobby, Arthur."

"I'm the bloody king! I'll insult you if I damn well please."

Merlin scoffed indignantly, but said nothing further as they walked toward the bathes.

"I didn't lie about you needing a washing." Arthur's nose wrinkled. "You are beginning to smell unbearable."

Merlin's mouth opened as if he was about to retort but failed to get the insult out before Arthur threw a strong arm around his shoulder and walked him through the doors leading to the bathing room.

The sight they had been met with was one both of them would never forget even if they wanted to. Standing before them was an very irate and very naked Gwaine. He was facing away from them shouting at the tub while cradling his red hand that at a glance appeared to be burned. Elyan and Leon were failing to calm him down while water from what seemed to be a broken spout continued to pour out. Percival was standing by with a wrapping around his waist to cover himself all while watching the chaos ensue. He seemed the slightest bit concerned but it was easily overshadowed by his booming laughter ringing across the room.

"Sarah!" Merlin shouted after the healer through his own laughing while Arthur grabbed a cover for his irate knight. "We may need one more thing.

* * *

After they had calmed Gwaine and Sarah stopped the spouting water, the washing had done wonders for Merlin.

Even after Arthur had finished (complaining the water had grown cold) Merlin remained several more minutes. He wasn't about to give this up any time soon. His body was finally clean of any additional ointments that had coated his pale skin.

Merlin stretched out into the long tub that was nothing like what Arthur had in Camelot. If anything, this was more luxurious as he could fully submerge himself if he chose to do so. The water flowed from a spout that had a rune carved into it if one simply pulled a lever. The spell work integrated allowed the water to be either hot or cold depending on the direction it was tilted in. Arthur had seemed to be completely in awe of the advances they had made to their plumbing, aided by magic. He had toyed with the lever much longer than Merlin figured he would have cared to admit. The room itself was long with a row of tubs divided only by curtains for individual's privacy.

A sigh escaped his lips. With all the damage his body had experienced over the past two days he felt a deep appreciation for the healers. The speed of this recovery was a blessing compared to what he had dealt with in the past. The warmth seeped into his muscles relaxing the tense feeling he always seemed to hold in his neck. There was constantly something for him to worry about, whether it had been getting his chores done or keeping his magic a secret whilst trying to keep Arthur alive. As two of those had been eradicated with his magic out in the open and Arthur's new job for him, Merlin needed only to worry about ensuring that Arthur stayed alive.

After a while, Merlin made the difficult decision to step out of the bath. His pale arms were rosy from the warmth of the water and he could only imagine that it had translated to his face as well. He reached for the pile of new clothing and dressed himself in the comfortable and breathable fabric. He shook his head sending droplets of water flying in all directions. Running his hands through his damp hair he grabbed Arthur's padded jacket at went out into the room.

The knights and Arthur had traded their clothes for new trousers and shirts just as Merlin had. Their heads turned at the sound of the door opening.

"There you are." Gwaine said in a teasing tone. "We were beginning to worry."

"Really Gwaine? I don't know if I'm the one who you should be concerned about. How's that hand by the way?" Merlin asked with a smirk.

Gwaine scoffed before puffing up his chest. "Sarah healed it just fine. I simply don't know my own strength. I thought that I had barely pulled at the lever before it came off right in my hands, spouting water everywhere."

"Sarah said that hadn't been the first time that happened. She's had to heal people for far worse burns than that."

"Merlin," Gwaine said shaking his head as he threw an arm around his shoulders. "Always the pessimist. I choose to see this not as it was, but as it _really_ was." Gwaine winked at him. He extended his hand dramatically out in front of him. "The story of how I bested a magical item with my own brute strength will be a hit in the tavern when we get back to Camelot."

Gwaine continued on to elaborate how he would carefully construct his tale for the maximum response. Merlin shook his head and moved over to Arthur who seemed to be on the very cusp of losing his patience.

"Gwaine must be low on stories for his tavern mates."

Arthur only nodded with his arms crossed in his front. Merlin had known Arthur long enough to know that look.

"Hungry?" Merlin asked rhetorically knowing that his question was really more of a descriptor for his king at the time. Arthur's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "You always stand like that when you haven't eaten. You also become a downright prat."

"I thought to you I was always a prat."

They met eyes and Merlin cracked a smile. He extended Arthur's jacket towards him. "You have your better moments."

Arthur looked at the jacket for a moment and shook his head. "I wish I could see the light spots in your idiocy. Unless you don't want it I won't be needing it back."

The unspoken words were loud and clear for Merlin. Arthur was trying to be the friend he hadn't been when he had allowed ranks and titles to cloud the true nature of their relationship. They had developed a bond even in the midst of these formalities, but it had been a one sided friendship. Merlin knew Arthur wanted to do his share now.

Merlin smiled and slid his arms through the sleeves and adjusted the jacket in the front. "Thank you Arthur."

Arthur simply nodded, but Merlin could see the light smile in his eyes.

"Do you think we can find Catherine on our own?" Leon spoke up to the group.

"You worry too much, Leon." Gwaine stepped in. "We are five of Camelot's best fighters and the king."

"Gwaine-" Arthur growled.

The knight pressed on with the glint in his eyes despite Arthur's warning. "How could we not find it?"

Needless to say, they had gotten horribly lost among the twisting halls and huge cavernous rooms. The only thing Arthur knew they found was they were no where near finding where they needed to be. At one point they had stumbled in upon a room which held doors with a very similar look to that of the hall they had dined. Upon opening them they found a long dark expanse of tunnel the complex hadn't expanded to. Merlin had shivered as a breeze bit at the tips of his damp hair. They continued to wander aimlessly and had found themselves back to the marketplace. There were multiple children running about the tree and playing by the river. One caught sight of the group and shouted to his friends. Soon enough, the children came barreling towards them only slowing down when they were right in front of the group. The bravest looking child took a step forward and tugged on Arthur's tunic regardless of the fact that Arthur was already watching her. He got down on one knee so that he was eye level with her and smiled.

"What can I do for you?" He asked gently as she still seemed rather scared at the prospects of speaking with a stranger.

"My mom says that you're the king." She said bashfully.

"I am." Arthur said with a nod of the head. "I don't very much look like it right now do I?"

She shook her head before one of her friends spoke up. "Where's your crown?"

"I wear it only on special occasions." Arthur answered the young boy. "To tell you the truth it is rather uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time."

"That's what happens when your head is too big for it." Arthur heard Merlin say from behind him. He shot a glare at him just in time to see Gwaine shaking slightly with quiet laughter and giving Merlin a pat on the back.

Some things would never change no matter how many boots he made those two shine.

The young boy's attention had already dissipated by time Arthur looked back. His shining green eyes locked on the knights that stood next to him. "I want to be just like them when I'm older."

"Me too!" The young girl piped up. Suddenly the children were all tittering on about becoming knights. Some picked up their driftwood and held it as though they had just drawn it from a sheath.

Arthur laughed and stood up. An idea came to him. He waved his arms. "Hold on! I don't know what the future holds for you, but how about I make you each an honorary knight for the day?"

The children's eyes glowed in excitement and several squealed in delight. Arthur held up his hands again which had the effect he was looking for. They immediately silenced themselves with their eyes locked on him. He had their attention now. "Now, do each of you promise to be honorable and always fight for what is right?" Each of the children nodded vigorously. Arthur extended his hand towards a stick that the boy closest to him had. The boy gave it to him eagerly, and Arthur held it high in the air before swooping it in two grand motions over the group of children. "Then I, King Arthur bestow on each of you the honor of being a knight of Camelot for the day."

Merlin, who was shaking his head, started clapping loudly and was soon joined by the other knights which excited the children even more. Arthur couldn't help but smile at each of their faces before he turned back to Merlin who was grinning just the same. "Should we be off then or do you want to spend some more time with your newest recruits?"

Arthur looked passed Merlin and didn't even feel his stomach as it began to growl. "I think we can make a little extra time."

So there they stayed for longer than any would care to admit running around with the children. Merlin stood by the tree entertaining them with magical tricks whilst Arthur, Elyan, and Leon worked with several on the proper way to hold a "sword" using their driftwood. Percival ran around chasing several of the kids who screamed in delight every time he caught them. Arthur didn't realize how long they had spent with them until the faux sun they had lighting the main square began to dim.

It was only when Gwaine spotted the two women he had sat by for dinner the previous night that they said their goodbyes and were able to find their way. Gwaine relentlessly pushed the boundaries of proper chivalrous behavior in their conversing while the two walked them towards the dining hall. Merlin would glance to Arthur each time Gwaine's chatting seemed to teeter over the edge, but he got very little response. Not that Merlin was expecting it all that much as Arthur had grown progressively more hostile looking during the walk. It seemed that his stomach had finally reminded him of his hunger. When they arrived at the dining hall, Gwaine kissed each of the women's hands as they said their goodbyes. Merlin smirked as he caught Arthur rolling his eyes at his knight's behavior. Any reprimand the king would give Gwaine would have to be saved for after dinner as Arthur walked swiftly though the doors.

Catherine had only invited a few individuals to dinner keeping the atmosphere much calmer than it had been the other night which Merlin appreciated. Among the group that he knew was Sarah who found it necessary to watch his every move as though assessing her patient's condition and Steven from dinner the night before as well as the tavern. Merlin was growing rather fond of the man with every encounter.

"I hear you got a bit distracted on your way back." Catherine said as she led them to their chairs. Merlin was about to ask how when she tapped on the side of her head. "Word travels fast around here and it's not every day that we hear of the King of Camelot, Emrys, and several knights playing chase with our children."

Merlin smirked. "We had to work up our appetites in some way."

"Indeed." She agreed. "Your healing is complete I assume."

Merlin nodded as he sat down to the left of Catherine. In front of him sat a steaming meal of roasted root vegetables and lamb that made his mouth start watering and his stomach growl in anticipation. His eyes met Sarah's and he smiled. "Thanks to the healers."

Arthur took his seat to Catherine's right while the knights filled the rest of the empty chairs by their king. Catherine smiled towards the druids at the table. "Since this is a smaller dinner I don't suppose we could each make introductions for our guests."

Steven, who sat to the left of Merlin as he did the night before, stood. "I believe that to be a good idea." His mouth split into a large smile. "We spoke at the tavern today, Sire and Lord Emrys but I'll introduce myself nonetheless. My name is Steven. I am in charge of alternative spell work for our complex alongside Catherine. She quite brilliantly discovers ways to improve our lives such as the crystal in the main hall and such."

Catherine blushed at the compliment. "Don't be so modest. Steven has his fair share of work cut out for him. He works with the traders to organize timing for them to leave in a quiet way as well as as finding ways to calm any sort of farm animal through the caves."

Arthur raised an eyebrow and nodded knowingly through the questions brewing in his mind. He had always thought that perhaps sorcerers could just magic food out of thin air. He would have to ask Merlin more about that. Arthur knew that Merlin's teasing remarks about his ignorance concerning magic would be a fraction of the humiliation he would feel if he said something to embarrass himself during dinner.

Steven smiled with a twinkle in his eyes. "Someone needs to do the grunt work of bringing in food and goods and I'm more than happy to do it."

Sarah went next. "Unfortunately, you don't need my introduction as you've seen fit to spend most of your time in my infirmary."

Merlin sheepishly looked away from her intense stare. He could almost feel Arthur's delight at him being scolded. The man sitting to Sarah's left began instead.

"My name's Balin mi'lords." The man's voice lilted with nearly each syllable. "I work with the people to ensure their needs be met. 'M not much of a magical talent but I get by. My wife on the other hand has high success with all sorts of spell work and enchantments." His eyes shined as he looked to the woman on his left.

"Please love, you do just as much as I. My name is Gunilda. I train volunteers for defensive and combative purposes. There are many who cannot make it to the highest level of training through our rigorous routines but they do walk away with a broader knowledge of personal defense. Those that do complete the course are tasked with guarding the few entrances."

"Perhaps you ought to take Merlin on sometimes." Gwaine said to which Merlin shot him a glare.

Gunilda pursed her lips into a smirk. "Perhaps. Although I would warn you that power is not always what is needed. A good strategy and quick thinking can often times overpower a foe with twice as much power you might have."

"I've only ever fought with magic in life or death situations." Merlin admitted. "I've never dueled."

"You may find it useful to attend a session while here. The next one is tomorrow if you find that you are remaining with us one more night."

Merlin felt his heart start with a bit of excitement. He looked to Arthur hopefully who smiled.

"I've never bore witness to magical training and would most likely regret the decision not to." Arthur said genuinely. Now that he had begun seeing the practicality of magic it had fascinated him. His father would have chalked it up to the addictive nature of magic, how it drew innocent people in and corrupted their minds without them realizing it. Arthur glanced to Merlin's excited face at just the prospect of interacting with more people like him. There was nothing inherently evil in the smile he held. In fact, the thought of leaving the complex hadn't even been on the forefront of his mind. Just this morning, Arthur could think of nothing but getting as far away from this place as possible. Now, he saw the light magic had rather than just the darkness. "Our hunting trip we originally set out on was to be three nights away from Camelot and we have only spent two away. I have no plans on traveling through the night, nor making my men do so. I do not see why we couldn't allow for something like that before we leave."

The grateful look on Merlin's face was all Arthur needed to know he made the right decision. Although Merlin would no doubt return here as he constructed the new magic laws for Camelot, Arthur didn't want to pull Merlin away from here as fast as possible anymore. In a way, Merlin was finally home. Magic was free here.

Arthur wanted Merlin to be free too.

"You'll do well not to treat him like your usual trainees." Catherine rose a knowing eyebrow at Gunilda who smirked. Arthur glanced to Merlin who's face already held a look of uncertain fear.

Gunilda smirked. "I'm sure that Emrys will be able to keep up."

Merlin blushed at the comment and sent another worried glance to Arthur. "I'll try my hardest."

Arthur watched Catherine. He envied the ease in which she was able to converse freely amongst the individuals at the table during dinner. Camelot was all about lengthy rules on proper etiquette that he was obliged to follow. Arthur could only ever really talk like that when he was with Merlin in his chambers or with his knights on patrol. "How did you come to lead the people here."

"I was voted in." Catherine said. "We wanted everyone to be involved in choosing the leader. When we were organizing our system of rule. Before I was chosen, I offered there to be no formal titles which was unanimously voted upon."

"I'm sure choosing a leader would be a benefit to you should people be in disagreement with you."

"Ruling can be hard to balance at times, a fact that I'm sure you have discovered." Catherine gave a small smile. "I do what is necessary for my people."

Arthur related more than he could ever say.

The dinner continued on amidst light conversing. Merlin knew just by the way Arthur was sitting that he was immensely more comfortable than he had been for the previous dinner. The knights also seemed to be in higher spirits than the knights.

"I wanted to know if you would like to have a conference with the people." Catherine asked quietly to Arthur and Merlin so as to keep it between them. Amongst the different working sectors there are questions that have been cropping up. Various rumors and stories have also flown around so I wish to assure them there is nothing to be concerned about."

Arthur nodded his head. "I believe that would be a wise decision. They can finally put a face to their mysterious leader." He nudged Merlin with his elbow in jest, but he received no response. Merlin just stared blankly ahead with a pale face. Merlin had faced dragons and high priestesses. Arthur has seen Merlin nearly sacrifice his own life for others and barely even blinked.

Who would have thought it was public speaking he was afraid of.

"I ask that you would speak as well, King Arthur?" Catherine requested.

Arthur gave a small smile. "Would they?" The 'would they even want to listen to any word that comes from the mouth of Uther Pendragon's son' went unsaid between the two. Catherine gave him a small smile.

"You are not your father." Catherine said with sincerity. She placed her hand upon his. "I see a light in you that not many have. You are a good man despite any mistakes you may have made in your past. I can guarantee that anyone who says otherwise will have to personally answer to me."

Arthur nodded before glancing over to Merlin who was grinning at him. Arthur rolled his eyes and fought to keep a smile from forming on his own face. He settled for hiding it in his cup of wine as he took a small sip.

The conversation gradually became more focused on Merlin who seemed to be drowning in the waves of attention. Those settled at table had their own questions to ask the famed Emrys and Arthur took a step back. It was a nice change of pace for him as being the king often forced him to be at the center of dinner conversations. He could quietly enjoy his meal while hearing some stories that Merlin hadn't told him about, specifically regarding his magic when he was young. Those at the table could have asked him questions all night had one ill timed hopeful glance to Arthur not been caught by Catherine.

"I suppose you wish to retire?" She asked with a glint in her eyes.

Merlin glanced towards Arthur and the knights. Arthur was half tempted to start up the conversation until he truly looked at Merlin. Sarah may have healed him, but that didn't mean there wasn't a toll he had payed. He looked completely exhausted which was entirely understandable after what he had gone through.

"What do you say Merlin?" Arthur asked with a smile. "Should we call it a night?"

Merlin shot him a weary look. "I think that would be wise."

With that they shook hands and said their goodbyes to those who had joined them for dinner. Catherine walked them to their sleeping quarters while they trudged behind her. There was little to be said even by Gwaine which was a testament to just how long the day had been for all of them.

The knights set themselves up for the night. They each had been given a set of sleeping clothes as well as an outfit for the next day. Arthur could hear Gwaine teasing Percival in the background about having to cut off the sleeves in order to accommodate for his massive arms. His words hadn't been too far of a stretch as Percival's arms barely fit within the loose fitting shirts.

It was good for Arthur to see his friends in such high spirits.

The king reached for his own folded night shirt and pulled it over his head. It was a soft blue linen that he knew would be difficult to take off when the morning came due to its soft fabric. He reached for the bottoms only to stop. Upon his trousers sat an innocuous piece of folded paper.

"Mer-" He began as he picked it up, but immediately stopped. This was left in his clothing so it was obviously meant for just him. Glancing over his shoulder to ensure no one payed him attention, Arthur unfolded the note and read it.

 _King Arthur,_

 _There is something that he is not telling you. There are more lies hiding within him._

 _How can you trust Emrys when he does not even trust you?_

All rational thought left Arthur. He gave a sideways glance to Merlin who was throwing his nightshirt over his pale scarred frame while laughing with the knights. The normality of the entire situation was unnerving as his eyes flitted back to the paper. What else could Merlin even be hiding from him?

"What is that Arthur?" Came Merlin's voice from behind him. Arthur jumped and in a split second decision crumpled the paper in his hand effectively hiding it from Merlin's sight. The knights paid the two no attention as they continued to converse amongst themselves. It was as though Arthur was seeing Merlin for the first time after discovering his magic. The well of betrayal had been drained only for it to fill itself up once more.

"Nothing. It's just a-" He paused trying to think of something to tell him. "A note from Catherine. She hopes we sleep well."

The lie had spilled from his tongue faster than he ever thought one could. Merlin's eyes narrowed calculatedly. He had the annoying ability to always be able to pick up on his lies. It was a skill Arthur apparently had been failing at since the day they met when Merlin began taking advantage of his trust.

What was he thinking? Merlin was one of the people he trusted most. The paper almost burned in his hand at the thought. But how could he be trusted if there were more lies? The logical part of his brain told him that he needed to discuss this with Merlin privately. Arthur had no clue who even wrote the note. When he tried to pry his fingers open to just show him, Arthur felt yet another surge of betrayal. He set his jaw firmly in place and plunged the paper inside of his pocket.

Merlin shrugged his shoulders and his face split into a smile. "She's cares for you a lot." He gave Arthur a judging look and crossed his arms in front of himself. "I have yet to see the appeal."

Arthur tried to match Merlin's smile, but it felt forced on his face. He studied Merlin. Was there really something he still wasn't telling him? Arthur had worked passed the years of deception in light of Merlin's unwavering loyalty. Merlin had told him that he was in part responsible for Uther dying, even if it was the byproduct of his sister's magic. If there was something else- something that he still hadn't told him was it even forgivable?

"Arthur?" His head shot up. His thoughts had ran him into trance. Merlin's concerned eyes were boring into him. "Are you alright?"

"I'd be better if you stopped pestering me and left me to myself." Arthur shot out without a conscious thought. He had said similar things to Merlin in the past that were easily overlooked due to the lightness of his tone, but this had been different. It had been true anger that forced its way passed his lips. Merlin looked hurt, but Arthur couldn't find any part of himself to feel remorse.

Merlin's gaze turned down as he seemed to be biting back a retort. "Maybe we're all just tired."

Arthur nodded curtly and turned back to his nightclothes. He knew he should apologize, but the note stayed at the forefront of his mind whenever he felt even an ounce of pity towards Merlin. Why couldn't he let it go? His eyes locked on Merlin as he rearranged his blankets for sleeping. Arthur tore his gaze away and climbed into his own bed. One question stayed on his mind as the conversations ceased and the lights dimmed.

Had he been too quick in overlooking Merlin's lies in favor of the friendship he had thought they shared?

 **Author's Note**

 **Hey! Thanks for sticking with me and this story. You guys are what keep me writing and proofreading it constantly. I love every single review and appreciate your continuing support. There is still more to this story and the suspense is not over. I hope you continue to enjoy it!**


	14. Chapter 14

_There are more lies hiding within him._

Arthur growled softly so as to not wake the others as he rolled over for what felt like the hundredth time that night. No matter what position he laid in he could not find a comfortable position. And it wasn't due to a lack of comfort. He could easily hear Percival's gentle snoring or the occasional snort from Gwaine. No one else was stirring from their spots on the hard ground.

There was no reason to after the full day of events they had undertaken. It had been one of those days that stretched itself out with a week's worth of events.

His eyes found the lump where Merlin's sleeping form laid. He was the only one Arthur had the ability to see as Merlin had positioned his sleeping spot in front of the door the same as the previous night. Light gently spilled into the room from the small gap between the door and the floor. Arthur could only make out the general sloping outline of his body while the others faded into the darkness.

 _How can you trust Emrys when he does not even trust you?_

He squeezed the blankets at hard as he could in his silent fit of frustration. This whole situation was a mess. Merlin not trusting him with this or that was what started this whole mess from the beginning. It was the damn principle of it all. Arthur had chosen to trust Merlin even though he had lied to him for years about his magic only for additional deception to be exposed. Arthur conjured up an image of the note in near perfect clarity, right down to the last sloping letter.

He debated about retrieving it several times for no reason other than having proof he hadn't simply made it up. It wasn't like he would be able to read it again. Even the large lettering of his name would be indefinable in the dim lighting.

Perhaps on his way to grab the letter he could bump into one of the knights. If he woke one man, there was no doubt it would wake the others. He knew his knights, and he knew damn well that they slept lightly. Years of camping in potentially hazardous locations while on scouting trips had left each of them with the ability to cast away their sleepiness at a moment's notice to face the danger with a clear head and sword in their hands. The moment he simply nudged one would trigger an immediate reaction from the entire group. There would be questions of why he was still awake, wide eyes searching out for any problems, and Merlin sleepily rubbing his eyes while Arthur glared coldly at him. He would stare Merlin down and challenge his duplicity face to face and watch as any further facade crumbled.

Better yet, he should have been more assertive immediately upon receiving the letter. He wasthe damn king of Camelot. Exercising power as he saw fit was well within his right, especially when it concerned the wellbeing of others. That note held information that may be important for his men's safety. Arthur should have cornered Merlin and demanded an explanation. He should have thrown the man to the ground and ordered him to confess his lies.

It wasn't like he hadn't done it before.

Knowing that Merlin had magic and waited for so many years to divulge that information was still a touchy subject for him. Arthur may have accepted the skill itself, but he hadn't accepted his lying. He had been hesitant to discuss it with Merlin because of the great strides they had already taken towards mending their bond. He refused to allow his friend to think that he was going back on his word simply because some buried corner of Arthur's ego still ached with betrayal.

Now was a different matter entirely. Arthur was angry, far from the forced patience constructed out of deference towards Merlin. There was no other emotion filtering through him other than a cool anger that would rear its spiteful head soon enough. Regardless of all that Merlin had thought were the worst things he had have ever done, Arthur felt this was it.

Arthur huffed and clenched his jaw angrily. The joint had begun to ached hours ago from the constant pressure. His frustrations with this new situation had caused his entire body to become tense. Movement was something that aided this when he was in Camelot. There were times when Arthur would go down to the training fields when he couldn't sleep and work on his sword technique, fighting his straw stuffed adversary with only the moonlight to aid his sight.

Of course, he had to remember that it was Merlin who suggested the impromptu training sessions in the first place.

Initially, when Merlin had suggested it Arthur thought it was a joke, but he still followed along as he thought a walk in the fresh air might aid him. He teased and berated him the entire journey to the training fields and was met with fiery retorts that no other servant would have ever dared to say to their master. When Merlin first held out the practice sword, Arthur was half tempted to refuse it and go back to his room, but one glance to his servant changed his mind. Merlin stood there waiting confidently, as though he knew something about the prince that he didn't even know about himself. At that point, Merlin had only been working for him for a few months. It had been quiet moments like this where Arthur felt as though he had known the idiot his entire life.

Since then, Merlin had suggested it whenever Arthur needed it the most, even if he himself hadn't known it. Somedays Arthur knew that Merlin suggested it because he had listened in on a particularly stressful council meeting. Other times, Merlin seemed to read his body language or his manner of speech like a book. Merlin would grab his leather boots and padded jacket and gesture with his head towards the door. The two of them would be light on their feet, dodging palace guards suspiciously as though they were two children out after their curfew. Arthur would smirk at Merlin who would look exhilarated after a particularly close call. He never reminded his servant that he was the prince or the king when the tradition carried on after that mantle was passed onto him and that he was privy to walk around the castle naked as the day he was born if he so chose.

Occasionally, Merlin would partake in training, grabbing a dull sword and swinging it around sloppily while shouting profanities at it like it would respond. Arthur would stand back and laugh knowing that he was acting like a fool for him.

Arthur continued to steer his thoughts towards _that_ Merlin. The side that always sided with Arthur. He needed to remind himself that Merlin was sincere even in his deception. Even as oxymoronic as it sounded, Arthur held fast to who he knew Merlin to be when all other factors were removed.

He knew Merlin to be steadfastly and authentically good.

It had taken Arthur a while after that to simply close his eyes as the thoughts of the letter would repeatedly siege the focus of his mind longer than he would care to admit. Sleep had overtaken him eventually and his whirling mind fell away into a black dreamless sleep.

Upon waking, Arthur had no time to recall the events of the previous day. He heard an odd shuffling behind him and turned over quickly, heart pounding from his battle hardened senses. He blinked open his eyes and was met with a full view of Gwaine's naked backside as he was pulling up his pants.

"Do you mind pointing that elsewhere?"

"Apologies Sire," Gwaine said. He turned around while fastening his belt and allowed his fresh shirt to fall into place, untucked and slightly askew as usual. His hands moved to his hair where he ran his fingers through it, untangling it from a seemingly refreshing night's sleep. Sleep that Arthur knew the knight had gotten by how loudly he had begun to snore during the later hours. "Would you prefer the front next time?"

Arthur threw his pillow at Gwaine as hard as he could. At the last second, the now fully clothed knight dodged the projectile. It sailed forward and landed on the lump that had yet to move. Merlin's blanket covered head popped up out of fright.

"What's goin' on?" He said blearily. Arthur found himself chuckling lightly. Gwaine tugged at the blanket to reveal Merlin with a yawn so wide it was a wonder how it didn't dislocate his jaw.

Gwaine prattled on to a still sleepy Merlin about the 'princess' being a prat as Arthur made his way over to his own clothing. He fought a yawn of his own and lost while he pulled his right arm across his torso to stretch it. His sword arm had grown stiff throughout the night which reminded him that he needed to ask Gaius about a tonic for it when they returned home. Arthur shook his head and smiled as he heard a half attempted sleepy insult come from Merlin. Even the lame attempt at an insult warranted a laugh from Gwaine.

Arthur made to reach for his belt that had been thrown precariously to the side, but stopped suddenly. His eyes caught sight of something that brought the entire previous night back into perspective all at once. A crumpled piece of paper sat barely peeking out from where his robe had been hastily folded in his rush to conceal it the previous night. Everything came rushing back to him at once and his stomach felt like he was falling through the ground all over again. His thoughts he had entertained throughout the night stood at the forefront of his mind. He grabbed the note and held it as though it would offer him some sort of explanation as to why his trust had nearly unraveled, but it provided him nothing but silence as he stared incredulously at the note.

 _This_ had caused him to nearly go off on Merlin for a second time?

Arthur rubbed the back of his neck and glanced nonchalantly towards Merlin who was sitting up and running his fingers through his messy hair with a yawn wide enough to emphasize the man's strong desire to go back to sleep. Arthur continued to watch Merlin without making it too obvious. Gwaine offered his hand to him and pulled him to his feet in one tug. Merlin smiled his thanks and bent down to pick up his blankets and move them out of the way of the door. The movements were slow and lacked a certain spark that had oftentimes annoyed him when his servant would all but skip about his room cleaning while Arthur was still obviously attempting to catch a few more minutes of rest.

He looked more than just tired. Merlin had been through a lot both physically and mentally over these past few days, to put it lightly. He had been seriously injured and then magically stitched up again twice. Both times he had taken the damage upon himself rather than allowing it to fall on another. Whether he was perfectly healed as Sarah had said or not, it had to have taken a toll on him.

It only made the weight in his stomach heavier.

His gaze went back to the paper. He wasn't terribly keen on the idea of admitting he was wrong about anything. It was that stubborn Pendragon blood that had kept his father persecuting innocent people and Morgana constantly trying to overthrow Camelot.

Footsteps that shuffled too much for it to be one of his knights stepped directly next to him. Arthur tried to calmly hide the note in his boot, but felt his jerky, quick movements that he knew would scream out his culpability. Arthur grabbed for his belt and tried to act natural as he put it on.

"I haven't punched any more holes in your belt if you're trying to find another thing to yell at me about."

It was said lightly, as though there wasn't any lingering hurt from the previous night. Where Arthur was able to pick up his upset was not in his words. His body language told him wonders. Merlin's hands held the blanket tightly and he forcefully kept his gaze forward as he lowered his blankets onto Arthur's bed. It was subtle and yet so terribly overt at the same time.

"About that-" Arthur began with his voice softer than normal in an attempt to keep it between themselves. "I wanted to apologize for my outburst towards you."

Merlin laughed softly. "Two apologies in a little over a day?" His tone was almost hopeful. He glanced towards him quickly and saw Merlin raised his eyebrow.

"Well, don't get used to it." Arthur extended his hand towards Merlin. "I was -"

"An ass?" Merlin supplied with a smirk. One quick glare was enough to wipe it from his face.

Arthur shook his head and caught sight of the eavesdropping knights. "Don't you lot have something better to do?" Arthur was pleased when it seemed to do the trick. They went back to readying themselves for the morning, straightening their capes and checking their swords. Gwaine even listened to him without so much as a simple side remark.

"You're right though." Arthur said. "I wouldn't treat my other council members as I had treated you. I would have held my composure in spite of my frustrations."

"And then you would have complained about it to me later when you finally got away from the meeting." Merlin shook his head and released a breathy laugh as though he was still bewildered that the topic had been broached again. "Arthur, I promise you now that if you treat me like your stuffy council members I will quit."

"What would you do then?" Arthur's eyes were shining. "Being a man of your talents."

Merlin paused for a moment considering the question. "Woodcarving."

"Woodcarving?" Arthur laughed. "Have you ever even tried to whittle?"

Merlin shook his head. "There's a first time for everything."

"Well, I wouldn't want you to have to lose any fingers on my account." Arthur looked down with a smirk on his face. "You'll only be treated like a 'stuffy council member' while we are in meetings."

"Agreed." Merlin's eyes flashed gold in that moment, and had Arthur blinked he would have missed it. Not a second later did the red jacket Arthur had given him the previous day come flying straight into his hands. Merlin pushed his arms through the sleeves and pulled it onto his shoulders so that it sat straightly. "Then I can still call you an ass."

"You know I'm beginning to have a second thoughts about you helping to run my kingdom."

Merlin worked his jaw as though he were fighting a smirk. He settled on raising an eyebrow at Arthur's jab. "Yeah?"

Arthur nodded. "Before all this-" Arthur made a grand waving movement pointing to his surroundings. "I wouldn't have trusted you to manage the stables." Arthur caught sight of the knights quietly managing to eavesdrop on their conversation. "But maybe I should have nosy knights manage them until they learn to follow orders."

"Did you say something, Sire?" Gwaine asked with a forced confusion. He looked around for something and settled on reaching for the closest thing to him. "We were just sharpening our swords."

Merlin sent Arthur a side glance before opening his mouth.

"I thought the sharpening stone was lost in the cavern after we fell in here."

"Right." Gwaine gave a half attempted smile that screamed he had been caught. "Good on you Merlin." Gwaine nudged Leon with his elbow. "What a memory that one."

"Apologies, Sire" Leon nodded at Arthur before glancing to his left. "Merlin."

Arthur glared at his knights which Elyan took as a sign to grab Gwaine and turn him away from them to give them more privacy.

"They're getting restless down here." Merlin's gaze was still on the knights who had now opted to strike up small talk among themselves to pass the time.

Arthur's attention returned to Merlin. "Well they're not the only ones."

Merlin closed his eyes momentarily and sighed deeply as though sensing something he couldn't. "I think it's nice."

There was a moment where quiet passed between them. Merlin seemingly took it as an end to their conversation and stepped away from Arthur to continue straightening up the room. Arthur watched him as he folded the blankets by hand, only using magic to summon them when they were out of his reach. He knew that Merlin was being mindful of how he performed magic around all of them so they could become accustomed to it on a smaller scale.

Arthur felt a weight in his gut. Merlin was still painfully unaware of the full scope of the situation. It was almost laughable and not to mention embarrassing how he had allowed it to thwart his better judgement. He hadn't even questioned where it had come from before he accepted it as truth.

"Merlin," Arthur began. He felt his stomach twist when Merlin's immediately turned back to face him. His head was tilted slightly off kilter in a way that spoke thoroughly of his confusion. "There is something I think you should see."

Merlin, who had been putting on his shirt at the time, popped his head through the hole and began working on the arms while making his way over to Arthur. "What is it?"

Arthur pulled out the crumpled note and opened his mouth, but failed to find the words. He felt his hand slowly closing around the paper, concealing it. How could he tell his friend that a mere note had caused the dissension and rattled the trust they had just rebuilt?

"I'm sorry, Merlin." Arthur said with an embarrassed regret.

Merlin gave a short disbelieving laugh as he smirked. "Arthur, we already went over this."

He lowered his voice. "No, I need to tell-"

Arthur was cut off by a knock on the door. Merlin shook his head and gripped Arthur's shoulder and laughed softly. When he spoke his voice was soft so he was the only one who could hear. "I've already forgiven you. It wasn't as though your frustration was irreparable." Merlin looked down guiltily for a moment. "We both have done far worse to each other than simply being an ass for a moment because it had been a long day. I can imagine you were as tired as I was."

Arthur nodded, agreeing on the outside, but he battled internally with the truth. He sighed and closed his eyes while contemplating the message. The simple note written by lord knows who had been enough to undermine the entirety of his trust in Merlin. Again, Arthur had found himself questioning a man he had known for years, a man who had made sacrifices time and time again for him. Shame sat heavily on his chest. Merlin didn't know what had gone through Arthur's mind that night. He was oblivious to what he had been thinking over and over for hours in the quiet of the night, how he had planned intricately the many ways in which he could get the truth through any means necessary.

He opened his mouth to respond, but Merlin had already arrived at the door to allow entrance to the druids bringing in their breakfast. Arthur stared. How had he made it to the door so quickly? Arthur realized that he didn't remember feeling Merlin release his shoulder, let alone hear him walk across the room.

Arthur shook his head. Perhaps Merlin was right and that he was simply exhausted. With one glance towards the group to ensure no one was looking, Arthur slipped the paper into the waistband of his trousers.

Their company gave them more space than they had the day prior, and it wasn't long before the only movement in the room was that of Merlin and the knights around the platters of food. He moved forward to join them without too much thought. He picked up bread and an apple before sitting on the ground next to Merlin who had already taken several large bites of his own apple.

Throughout their breakfast, Merlin continued on as though nothing had happened between them. Merlin would occasionally insult Arthur to which he would retaliate with an insult of his own or a quick affectionate shove. They both fell easily back into their routine that had developed throughout the years of Merlin being in Arthur's service. It was a quiet friendship grown amidst the mess of proprieties and other seemingly nonsensical opinions.

"Ready?" Gwaine asked through a much too large bite of cheese and bread.

Merlin swallowed his bite of food. "Not really."

Elyan cleared his throat and refilled his water glass. "I thought that you were supposed to be the greatest sorcerer of all time? Shouldn't that title alone mean that you should be training her?"

Merlin gave him a small smile. "I've never really had the opportunity to practice my skills-" He looked a little guilty for a moment. "for obvious reasons."

"You should have seen some of the other knights when we first started training Percival." Leon paused for a moment to take a sip of water. "He didn't have half the skill of a knight and yet he was able to beat a majority of them simply by sheer power alone." He looked to Percival and patted him on the back. "No offense."

"He's right, Merlin." Percival reached for his third apple, obviously unaffected by the previous comment. "Be confident and that just might rattle her. If I were you, I'd be more worried about what you're planning for that speech later on."

Merlin exasperatedly sighed and dropped his bread. He cradled his head in his hands. "That's not helping."

Arthur smiled as he remembered what was on the agenda. Merlin had his training with Gunilda this morning and the speech later on that Catherine had organized. "There's absolutely nothing to worry yourself over." Arthur said. "These people respect you and will find what you have to say valuable."

Merlin stood and stretched his back. He seemed antsy to get a move on with the day. "I hope you're right."

Arthur stood and saw a bit of the note sticking from his waistband. Perhaps he had blown the note out of proportion simply due to being so incredibly exhausted by the entire ordeal. It was a reasonable explanation, one that he decided was best at the moment. They were in for another long day. Arthur felt it was best not to sully it at the moment with this news. He doubted that it warranted any more than perhaps a small mention to Catherine later that day. She knew her people and would be able to pinpoint someone that could possibly be struggling with the events that had transpired. If Arthur had difficulty when he discovered that Merlin had magic they was no question that there could be individuals in the complex that would questions his past. Maybe it had been a test of his will, seeing if he would stay by Merlin's side no matter what. Whatever it was, Arthur couldn't do anything about it at the moment. He carefully folded it further so that it was out of view.

Yeah, Arthur had just been tired.

 ** _Author's note_**

 ** _There aren't really many excuses for abandoning this for months. That was something that I promised myself I wouldn't do, and yet I did it anyways. I want to apologize for not making it more of a priority. I appreciate all your support! Thank you so much for reading._**


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